Question 1

Is Denver or Philadelphia cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Philadelphia, PA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $90/month less than in Denver, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,089/mo in Denver versus $1,810/mo in Philadelphia.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Denver vs Philadelphia?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $84,000/year before tax in Denver, CO and $86,000/year in Philadelphia, PA — a difference of about $2,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Denver or Philadelphia cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Philadelphia, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $8,304/month in Denver and $7,840/month in Philadelphia, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Denver or Philadelphia?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Philadelphia costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Denver57	Philadelphia52
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,471	$4,381
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$8,304	$7,840
Salary for comfort	$84,000/yr	$86,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,089	$1,810
Median home value	$586,700	$232,400
Median household income	$91,681	$60,698
Unemployment	3.8%	5.0%
Housing score	32	47
Jobs score	41	49
Safety score	35	4
Climate score	93	100
Amenities score	64	46
Population	713.7K	1.6M
Summer high / winter low	92° / 20°	88° / 27°

Denver, CO vs Philadelphia, PA