Cost of Living: Santa Monica, 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 Santa Monica, CA versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 34.06% of gross in Santa Monica, CA versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Philadelphia, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Monica, 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: Santa Monica, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Monica, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)
Philadelphia, PA has a lower cost-of-living index than Santa Monica, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Monica, CA: $2,221/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo
Median rent in Santa Monica, CA is $964/mo higher than in Philadelphia, PA.
Median Home Price
Santa Monica, CA: $1,810,200 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400
Median home price in Santa Monica, CA is $1,577,800 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.
Median Household Income
Santa Monica, CA: $109,739 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698
Santa Monica, CA has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $49,041.
Santa Monica, CA overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons