

Atlantic City vs Philadelphia
$572/mo more in Philadelphia
Atlantic CityPhiladelphiaAbout 52 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Philadelphia leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,421/mo in Philadelphia. $1,849/mo in Atlantic City. +$6,864 a year.
Atlantic City
$1,849
left each month
Philadelphia
$2,421
+$572 vs Atlantic City
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 2,387 households moved Atlantic City → Philadelphia (avg AGI $94,726). 2,909 went the other way. The whole move →
+$572 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Atlantic City | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,208 | $8,105 | +$896 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,715 | $2,257 | +$542 |
| Take-home pay | $5,493 | $5,848 | +$354 |
| Rent | $1,654 | $1,530 | −$124 |
| Getting around | $546 | $418 | −$128 |
| Groceries | $398 | $408 | +$10 |
| Healthcare | $448 | $459 | +$11 |
| Utilities | $249 | $255 | +$6 |
| Everything else | $349 | $357 | +$8 |
| Left over | $1,849 | $2,421 | +$572 |
Salary to match Atlantic City
$86,500
Gross pay in Philadelphia that leaves the same amount as $86,500 in Atlantic City.
Tax difference
−$3,313
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.8% in Atlantic City, 27.8% in Philadelphia.
More about Philadelphia
Atlantic City, NJ in full
State income tax topping out at 10.75%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,969 and 210 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.
Philadelphia, PA in full
East Coast density at half of Boston's rent, minus a 3.75% city wage tax.
The other way
Start in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia → Atlantic City →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Philadelphia than Atlantic City?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Philadelphia leaves about $572 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,654 in Atlantic City and $1,530 in Philadelphia.
Does Philadelphia have state income tax?
Philadelphia is in Pennsylvania, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 3.75%.
What changes if you move from Atlantic City to Philadelphia?
The paycheck is taxed in Pennsylvania. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Atlantic City and Philadelphia changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.