Cost of Living: Elgin, IL vs Philadelphia, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,227/mo in Elgin, IL versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 18.36% of gross in Elgin, IL versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Elgin, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Elgin, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Elgin, IL
18.36%
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 Elgin, IL and Philadelphia, PA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Elgin, IL: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Elgin, IL: $1,197/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Philadelphia, PA is $60/mo higher than in Elgin, IL.

Median Home Price

Elgin, IL: $252,400 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Elgin, IL is $20,000 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Elgin, IL: $88,316 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Elgin, IL has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $27,618.

Elgin, IL overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons