City comparison
Boston, MA vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 5.6% higher than in Philadelphia, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Philadelphia, PA would need about $105,600 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,520 in Philadelphia, PA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 24% in Philadelphia, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,710 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Boston, MA to Philadelphia, PA ($120,548 → $117,284), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,724 in Philadelphia | $105,570 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,710/yr.
86 Strong offer
Philadelphia, PA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,710/yr.
30 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Boston → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $68,013 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $82,289 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $98,630 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $117,284 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $138,595 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $78,570 | $82,946 (−15.4%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $133,040 | $140,450 (−15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $85,990 | $90,779 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $101,180 | $106,815 (+0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.