Cities Similar to Philadelphia, PA

The top 10 most similar cities based on cost of living, home prices, rent, population, and region.

Cities similar to Philadelphia, PA

1. Baltimore, MD

585,708 people · Northeast

95% similar

COL Index

106.0

Home Price

$218K

Rent

$1,350/mo

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2. Buffalo, NY

274,678 people · Northeast

92% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$188K

Rent

N/A

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3. Newark, NJ

311,549 people · Northeast

92% similar

COL Index

108.0

Home Price

$484K

Rent

$1,400/mo

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4. Rochester, NY

207,274 people · Northeast

91% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$198K

Rent

N/A

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5. Worcester, MA

207,621 people · Northeast

91% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$410K

Rent

N/A

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6. Yonkers, NY

207,657 people · Northeast

91% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$648K

Rent

N/A

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7. Providence, RI

190,792 people · Northeast

91% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$430K

Rent

N/A

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8. Springfield, MA

153,672 people · Northeast

90% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$294K

Rent

N/A

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9. Paterson, NJ

156,452 people · Northeast

90% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$532K

Rent

N/A

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10. Pittsburgh, PA

302,971 people · Northeast

90% similar

COL Index

89.0

Home Price

N/A

Rent

$850/mo

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How We Find Cities Similar to Philadelphia

Our similarity algorithm compares Philadelphia, PA against every other city in our database across multiple dimensions: cost of living index, median home price, average rent, population size, and geographic region. Each factor is weighted and normalized, then combined into a single similarity score from 0–100%.

Cities with high similarity scores share a comparable financial profile to Philadelphia — meaning your dollar goes about as far, housing costs are in the same ballpark, and the overall lifestyle cost is similar. This is useful if you love Philadelphia but want to explore other options with a similar feel and price point, or if you’re relocating and want to understand which cities offer a comparable standard of living.

Click on any city in the results to see a detailed cost of living comparison, including category-by-category breakdowns for housing, groceries, transportation, healthcare, and more. You can also adjust the search to find cities similar to any location in the United States.