Cost of Living: Richmond, VA vs Philadelphia, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,181/mo in Richmond, VA versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 19.15% of gross in Richmond, VA versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Richmond, VA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Richmond, VA
$4,181/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Richmond, VA
19.15%
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 Richmond, VA and Philadelphia, PA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Richmond, VA: 93.8 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Richmond, VA: $1,249/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Philadelphia, PA is $8/mo higher than in Richmond, VA.

Median Home Price

Richmond, VA: $328,100 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Richmond, VA is $95,700 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Richmond, VA: $62,671 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Richmond, VA has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $1,973.

Richmond, VA overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons