

Baltimore vs Philadelphia
$23/mo more in Philadelphia
BaltimorePhiladelphiaAbout 77 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Philadelphia leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,414/mo in Philadelphia. $2,391/mo in Baltimore. +$276 a year.
Baltimore
$2,391
left each month
Philadelphia
$2,414
+$23 vs Baltimore
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 2,145 households moved Baltimore → Philadelphia (avg AGI $70,017). 2,058 went the other way. The whole move →
+$23 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Baltimore | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,250 | $8,094 | −$156 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,389 | $2,253 | −$136 |
| Take-home pay | $5,861 | $5,841 | −$20 |
| Rent | $1,509 | $1,530 | +$21 |
| Getting around | $482 | $418 | −$64 |
| Groceries | $408 | $408 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $459 | $459 | $0 |
| Utilities | $255 | $255 | $0 |
| Everything else | $357 | $357 | $0 |
| Left over | $2,391 | $2,414 | +$23 |
Salary to match Baltimore
$96,500
Gross pay in Philadelphia that leaves the same amount as $99,000 in Baltimore.
Tax difference
+$1,072
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.0% in Baltimore, 27.8% in Philadelphia.
More about Philadelphia
Baltimore, MD in full
DC salaries within commuting distance, at Baltimore prices.
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 → Baltimore →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Philadelphia than Baltimore?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Philadelphia leaves about $23 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,509 in Baltimore 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 Baltimore 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 Baltimore 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.