Question 1

Is Los Angeles or Philadelphia cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Philadelphia, PA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $1,641/month less than in Los Angeles, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,903/mo in Los Angeles versus $1,810/mo in Philadelphia.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Los Angeles vs Philadelphia?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $122,000/year before tax in Los Angeles, CA and $86,000/year in Philadelphia, PA — a difference of about $36,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Los Angeles or Philadelphia cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Philadelphia, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $11,266/month in Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 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	Los Angeles47	Philadelphia52
Est. monthly cost (single)	$6,022	$4,381
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$11,266	$7,840
Salary for comfort	$122,000/yr	$86,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,903	$1,810
Median home value	$879,500	$232,400
Median household income	$80,366	$60,698
Unemployment	5.3%	5.0%
Housing score	2	47
Jobs score	25	49
Safety score	47	4
Climate score	100	100
Amenities score	100	46
Population	3.9M	1.6M
Summer high / winter low	89° / 47°	88° / 27°

Los Angeles, CA vs Philadelphia, PA