Cost of Living: Malden, MA vs Philadelphia, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Malden, MA versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 30.1% of gross in Malden, MA versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Philadelphia, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Malden, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Malden, MA
30.1%
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 Malden, MA 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: Malden, MA

Cost of Living Index

Malden, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Malden, MA: $1,963/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Malden, MA is $706/mo higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Home Price

Malden, MA: $607,500 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Malden, MA is $375,100 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Malden, MA: $95,298 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Malden, MA has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $34,600.

Malden, MA overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons