Question 1

Is Detroit or Philadelphia cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Detroit, MI is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $332/month less than in Philadelphia, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,411/mo in Detroit versus $1,810/mo in Philadelphia.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Detroit vs Philadelphia?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $78,000/year before tax in Detroit, MI and $86,000/year in Philadelphia, PA — a difference of about $8,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Detroit or Philadelphia cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Detroit, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $7,360/month in Detroit 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 Detroit or Philadelphia?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Detroit 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	Detroit59	Philadelphia52
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,049	$4,381
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$7,360	$7,840
Salary for comfort	$78,000/yr	$86,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,411	$1,810
Median home value	$76,800	$232,400
Median household income	$39,575	$60,698
Unemployment	10.7%	5.0%
Housing score	62	47
Jobs score	37	49
Safety score	18	4
Climate score	87	100
Amenities score	82	46
Population	636.6K	1.6M
Summer high / winter low	83° / 20°	88° / 27°

Detroit, MI vs Philadelphia, PA