City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 9.2% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $109,200 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Philadelphia, PA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.5% moving from Cleveland, OH to Philadelphia, PA ($111,138 → $117,284), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,189 in Philadelphia | $91,584 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
42 Weak offer
Philadelphia, PA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Cleveland → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $68,013 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $82,289 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $98,630 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $117,284 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $138,595 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $78,570 | $71,958 (−5.9%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $133,040 | $121,843 (+9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $85,990 | $78,753 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $101,180 | $92,665 (+10.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.