Cost of Living: Charlotte, NC vs Philadelphia, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Charlotte, NC versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 21.91% of gross in Charlotte, NC versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Philadelphia, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Charlotte, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Charlotte, NC
21.91%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Philadelphia, PA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Charlotte, NC and Philadelphia, PA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Philadelphia, PA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Philadelphia, PA
  • Lower home prices: Philadelphia, PA
  • Higher median household income: Charlotte, NC

Cost of Living Index

Charlotte, NC: 95.6 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

Philadelphia, PA has a lower cost-of-living index than Charlotte, NC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Charlotte, NC: $1,429/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Charlotte, NC is $172/mo higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Home Price

Charlotte, NC: $351,500 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Charlotte, NC is $119,100 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Charlotte, NC: $78,438 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Charlotte, NC has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $17,740.

Charlotte, NC overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons