City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 7.0% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $107,000 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Philadelphia, PA ($111,301 → $117,284), while prices change by +7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,001 in Philadelphia | $93,457 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
48 Fair offer
Philadelphia, PA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Buffalo → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,013 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $82,289 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $98,630 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $117,284 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $138,595 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $78,570 | $73,429 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $133,040 | $124,335 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $85,990 | $80,364 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $101,180 | $94,560 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.