Cost of Living: Waltham, 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 Waltham, MA versus $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 32.52% of gross in Waltham, MA 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 Waltham, 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: Waltham, MA
Cost of Living Index
Waltham, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)
Philadelphia, PA has a lower cost-of-living index than Waltham, MA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Waltham, MA: $2,121/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo
Median rent in Waltham, MA is $864/mo higher than in Philadelphia, PA.
Median Home Price
Waltham, MA: $705,700 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400
Median home price in Waltham, MA is $473,300 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.
Median Household Income
Waltham, MA: $116,560 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698
Waltham, MA has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $55,862.
Waltham, MA overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons