Cost of Living: Columbus, IN vs Philadelphia, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,332/mo in Columbus, IN versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 16.54% of gross in Columbus, IN versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Columbus, IN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Columbus, IN
$4,332/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Columbus, IN
16.54%
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 Columbus, IN and Philadelphia, PA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Columbus, IN: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Columbus, IN: $1,079/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Philadelphia, PA is $178/mo higher than in Columbus, IN.

Median Home Price

Columbus, IN: $231,000 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Philadelphia, PA is $1,400 higher than in Columbus, IN.

Median Household Income

Columbus, IN: $76,856 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Columbus, IN has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $16,158.

Columbus, IN overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons