Cost of Living: Oakland, CA vs Philadelphia, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Oakland, CA versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 27.93% of gross in Oakland, CA versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Philadelphia, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Oakland, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Oakland, CA
27.93%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Philadelphia, PA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Oakland, CA 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: Oakland, CA

Cost of Living Index

Oakland, CA: 165.2 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Oakland, CA: $1,821/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Oakland, CA is $564/mo higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Home Price

Oakland, CA: $924,700 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Oakland, CA is $692,300 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Oakland, CA: $97,369 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Oakland, CA has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $36,671.

Oakland, CA overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons