Cost of Living Comparison Between Philadelphia, PA and Washington, DC 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Washington, DC is 11.7% higher than in Philadelphia, PA (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Washington, DC is 30.5% higher than in Philadelphia, PA | |
| Rent Prices in Washington, DC are 73.2% higher than in Philadelphia, PA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Washington, DC are 24.1% higher than in Philadelphia, PA | |
| Groceries Prices in Washington, DC are 0.7% higher than in Philadelphia, PA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Washington, DC is 6.2% higher than in Philadelphia, PA | |
Restaurants | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 $ | 25.00 $ | +25.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 90.00 $ | 120.00 $ | +33.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 12.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 6.00 $ | 8.00 $ | +33.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 7.00 $ | 10.00 $ | +42.9 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 4.91 $ | 5.69 $ | +15.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.67 $ | 3.02 $ | +13.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 1.97 $ | 2.70 $ | +36.9 % |
Markets | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.23 $ | 4.35 $ | -16.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.76 $ | 4.04 $ | +7.4 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 4.60 $ | 3.15 $ | -31.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.30 $ | 4.34 $ | +0.8 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.87 $ | 7.73 $ | +12.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.26 $ | 6.96 $ | +11.3 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.17 $ | 8.64 $ | -5.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.77 $ | 2.75 $ | -0.8 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.99 $ | 0.91 $ | -8.4 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.32 $ | 2.36 $ | +1.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.42 $ | 2.84 $ | +17.7 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.53 $ | 1.54 $ | +1.0 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.30 $ | 1.69 $ | +30.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.01 $ | 2.59 $ | -14.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.49 $ | 2.51 $ | +0.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 16.00 $ | +6.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.92 $ | 2.87 $ | +49.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.17 $ | 4.58 $ | +10.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 12.88 $ | 12.50 $ | -2.9 % |
Transportation | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.62 $ | +5.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 96.00 $ | 75.00 $ | -21.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 4.00 $ | +33.3 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.50 $ | 4.00 $ | +60.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 22.00 $ | 30.00 $ | +36.4 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.40 $ | 3.48 $ | +2.2 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,000.00 $ | 30,000.00 $ | +11.1 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,891.56 $ | 25,775.73 $ | -0.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 269.29 $ | 208.70 $ | -22.5 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 61.40 $ | 59.67 $ | -2.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 73.28 $ | 68.08 $ | -7.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 48.67 $ | 110.59 $ | +127.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 32.50 $ | 38.41 $ | +18.2 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 14.64 $ | 17.00 $ | +16.1 % |
Childcare | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,076.67 $ | 2,685.75 $ | +29.3 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 43,200.00 $ | 40,166.67 $ | -7.0 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 52.07 $ | 79.65 $ | +53.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 42.00 $ | 50.22 $ | +19.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 93.93 $ | 102.51 $ | +9.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 143.33 $ | 144.31 $ | +0.7 % |
Rent Per Month | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,790.76 $ | 2,539.00 $ | +41.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,375.16 $ | 2,085.83 $ | +51.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 3,115.69 $ | 5,909.38 $ | +89.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,227.47 $ | 4,200.94 $ | +88.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 315.01 $ | 700.01 $ | +122.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 220.30 $ | 571.34 $ | +159.3 % |
Salaries And Financing | Philadelphia, PA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,340.28 $ | 6,016.07 $ | +38.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.67 | 6.48 | -2.8 % |
| Last update: | 9 May 2025 | 19 May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 103 | 146 |
Moving to Philadelphia, PA? Explore:
Moving to Washington, DC? Explore:
Cities near Philadelphia, PA: | Cost of Living in Browns Mills, New Jersey | 32.93 miles |
| Cost of Living in Princeton, New Jersey | 44.86 miles |
| Cost of Living in Barnegat, New Jersey | 51.99 miles |
| Cost of Living in Allentown, Pennsylvania | 61.40 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lakewood Township, New Jersey | 66.98 miles |
| Cost of Living in Woodbridge, New Jersey | 70.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 71.52 miles |
| Cost of Living in Newark, New Jersey | 85.78 miles |
| Cost of Living in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey | 87.30 miles |
| Cost of Living in Jersey City, New Jersey | 93.77 miles |
Cities near Washington, DC: | Cost of Living in Arlington, Virginia | 4.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chevy Chase, Maryland | 7.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Springfield, Virginia | 13.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rockville, Maryland | 17.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baltimore, Maryland | 38.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fredericksburg, Virginia | 52.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lexington Park, Maryland | 61.00 miles |
| Cost of Living in Richmond, Virginia | 106.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 113.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 117.62 miles |