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New York vs Philadelphia: Cost of Living

New York is about 10% more expensive than Philadelphia, based on the BEA regional price parity index (U.S. average = 100): New York at 112.563, Philadelphia at 102.554.

Cost of living (U.S. avg 100)
New York: 112.563
Cost of living (U.S. avg 100)
Philadelphia: 102.554
Salary parity ($100K in New York)
$91K in Philadelphia

If you earn $100K in New York, you would need about $91K in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living (price levels only; taxes on your specific income are separate).

Rents: the biggest difference

New York

Rent price parity: 148.616 (U.S. average = 100)

Philadelphia

Rent price parity: 113.141 (U.S. average = 100)

What common jobs pay in each city (after tax)

OccupationMedian (New York)Take-home (New York)Median (Philadelphia)Take-home (Philadelphia)
Software Developer$167K$116K$133K$98K
Data Scientist$136K$97K$110K$83K
Registered Nurse$120K$87K$101K$77K
Accountant$106K$78K$86K$67K
Mechanical Engineer$110K$81K$104K$79K
Marketing Manager$193K$133K$166K$120K
Electrician$79K$61K$75K$59K
Elementary School Teacher$97K$72K$79K$62K
Police Officer$106K$78K$90K$69K
Chef$72K$56K$66K$53K
Financial Analyst$129K$93K$95K$73K
Civil Engineer$107K$79K$99K$76K
Pharmacist----
Physical Therapist----
Dental Hygienist----
Web Developer----
Graphic Designer----
Paralegal$75K$58K$70K$56K
Plumber----
HVAC Technician$78K$60K$65K$52K

Taxes at a glance

Take-home assumes a single filer using the standard deduction. New York (New York state tax), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania state tax). A $100K salary nets about $74K in New York vs $76K in Philadelphia. Full assumptions: methodology.