Boston vs Philadelphia - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Philadelphia
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3680
$2597
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$8143
$5854
🏠 One person rent
$2555
$1508
🏘️ Family rent
$4103
$2200
🍽️ Food expenses
$749
$733
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$194
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$6248
$4443
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
11 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
91
91
🏙️ Population
676K
1.6M

The cost of living in Boston is 42% more expensive than in Philadelphia. Cities ranked 27th and 741st ($3680 vs $2597) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 21st and 652nd in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 1.7 months in Philadelphia. Ranked 20th vs 22nd best cities to live in the United States, and 105th vs 118th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Boston vs Philadelphia

Prices for goods and services in Boston and Philadelphia are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Boston Philadelphia
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$24.8
$22
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$102
$79.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$12.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.02
$5.98
☕ Cappuccino
$5.38
$5.23
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.8
$3.03
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2870
$1607
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2200
$1212
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$5120
$2381
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3473
$1784
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$146
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$224
$225
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$77.3
$71
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.34%
6.27%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$12808
$4124
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6220
$1892
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.39
$2.88
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.7
$99.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17.9
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.93
$0.96
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.14
$1.43
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.58
$4.41
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.32
$8.91
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.77
$5.31
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.7
$13.6
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$13.7
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$18.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.92
$5.95
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.89
$2.02
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.58
$5.12
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.74
$5.55
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.32
$2.99
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.19
$3.15
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.84
$1.67
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.94
$3.72
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.6
$15
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.98
$2.24
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13
$13.1
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.53
$9.27
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.96
$6.98
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4
$4.04
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.99
$2.34
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$89.6
$68.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15.9
$16
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$192
$84.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$27.8
$29
👖 Brand Jeans
$73.4
$49.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$116
$99.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2859
$2213
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$26444
$20275

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Cities near Boston

Distance City Cost of living
4 km or 2.5 mi Cambridge
$3862
4.4 km or 2.7 mi Chelsea
$3168
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Somerville
$3685
5.6 km or 3.5 mi Everett
$3012
5.7 km or 3.5 mi Brookline
$3170
6.9 km or 4.3 mi Revere
$3028
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Malden
$3009
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Medford
$2712
10 km or 6.2 mi Belmont
$3028
10 km or 6.2 mi Arlington
$2977
10 km or 6.2 mi Watertown
$3000
11 km or 6.9 mi Melrose
$2914
12 km or 7.5 mi Milton
$3038
12 km or 7.5 mi Winchester
$2866
12 km or 7.7 mi Newton
$2910
13 km or 7.8 mi Saugus
$2866
13 km or 8.1 mi Quincy
$3232
14 km or 8.6 mi Stoneham
$2845
14 km or 8.9 mi Waltham
$2886
15 km or 9.4 mi Lynn
$2783
15 km or 9.5 mi Woburn
$2759
16 km or 9.6 mi Dedham
$2959
16 km or 10 mi Needham
$2901
16 km or 10 mi Lexington
$2794
16 km or 10 mi Wakefield
$2851
18 km or 11 mi Braintree
$3007
18 km or 11 mi Weymouth
$3005
19 km or 12 mi Reading
$2796
19 km or 12 mi Hingham
$2963
20 km or 12 mi Burlington
$2420
20 km or 13 mi Wellesley
$2828
21 km or 13 mi Norwood
$2906
22 km or 14 mi Peabody
$2867
22 km or 14 mi Randolph
$2923
22 km or 14 mi Salem
$3022
23 km or 14 mi Wilmington
$2636
23 km or 14 mi Marblehead
$2855
23 km or 14 mi Canton
$2900
25 km or 16 mi Natick
$2890
26 km or 16 mi Stoughton
$2890

Cities near Philadelphia

Distance City Cost of living
5.2 km or 3.2 mi Camden
$2624
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Pennsauken Township
$2614
12 km or 7.1 mi Cherry Hill
$2710
12 km or 7.7 mi West Deptford Township
$2620
16 km or 9.9 mi Fox Chase
$2395
16 km or 9.9 mi Deptford Township
$2626
19 km or 12 mi Moorestown
$2543
21 km or 13 mi Gloucester Township
$2622
21 km or 13 mi Chester
$2498
22 km or 14 mi Mount Laurel
$2543
25 km or 15 mi Evesham Township
$2581
25 km or 16 mi Willingboro Township
$2567
31 km or 19 mi Medford
$2579
35 km or 22 mi Levittown
$2359
35 km or 22 mi Winslow Township
$2623
36 km or 23 mi Monroe Township
$2636
38 km or 23 mi West Chester
$2849
40 km or 25 mi Wilmington
$2458
46 km or 28 mi Trenton
$2314
46 km or 29 mi Ewing Township
$2623
50 km or 31 mi Hamilton Township
$2525
52 km or 32 mi Pottstown
$2331
54 km or 33 mi Lawrence Township
$2685
56 km or 35 mi Vineland
$2635
58 km or 36 mi Newark
$2222
59 km or 36 mi Bridgeton
$2662
62 km or 38 mi Princeton
$3031
63 km or 39 mi Millville
$2636
64 km or 39 mi East Windsor Township
$2740
65 km or 40 mi Plainsboro Township
$2820
67 km or 42 mi Montgomery Township
$2825
67 km or 42 mi Manchester Township
$2754
71 km or 44 mi Jackson Township
$2795
72 km or 45 mi South Brunswick
$2842
77 km or 48 mi Allentown
$2313
77 km or 48 mi Bethlehem
$2333
77 km or 48 mi Hillsborough Township
$2897
78 km or 48 mi Reading
$2221
78 km or 49 mi Barnegat Township
$2656
79 km or 49 mi Manalapan Township
$2737