Cost of Living: Columbia, SC vs Philadelphia, PA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,143/mo in Columbia, SC versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 16.87% of gross in Columbia, SC versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Columbia, SC tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Columbia, SC and Philadelphia, PA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Philadelphia, PA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Columbia, SC
- Lower home prices: Philadelphia, PA
- Higher median household income: Philadelphia, PA
Cost of Living Index
Columbia, SC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)
Philadelphia, PA has a lower cost-of-living index than Columbia, SC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Columbia, SC: $1,100/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo
Median rent in Philadelphia, PA is $157/mo higher than in Columbia, SC.
Median Home Price
Columbia, SC: $243,500 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400
Median home price in Columbia, SC is $11,100 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.
Median Household Income
Columbia, SC: $55,653 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698
Philadelphia, PA has a higher median household income than Columbia, SC by $5,045.
Columbia, SC overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons