Cost of Living: Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 44.66% of gross in Sunnyvale, CA versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Philadelphia, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Sunnyvale, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Sunnyvale, CA
44.66%
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 Sunnyvale, 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: Sunnyvale, CA

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Sunnyvale, CA: $2,912/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Sunnyvale, CA is $1,655/mo higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Home Price

Sunnyvale, CA: $1,816,600 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Sunnyvale, CA is $1,584,200 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Sunnyvale, CA: $181,862 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Sunnyvale, CA has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $121,164.

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