CostTrek

✦ Compare

Miami vs Philadelphia

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Miami, FL vs Philadelphia, PA at a glance — Philadelphia, PA is 7% cheaper than Miami, FL overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,600/mo versus $2,600/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 37%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Philadelphia, PA, you'd need

$69,499 / year

Philadelphia, PA is 7% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Philadelphia, PA vs Miami, FL)

  • Housing-17%
  • Food & groceries-2%
  • Transport0%
  • Utilities+3%
  • Healthcare+3%
  • Goods & services-4%

◎ How Miami, FL and Philadelphia, PA compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Miami, FLPhiladelphia, PA

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Miami, FLPhiladelphia, PA
Cost of living
Overall cost index112104
Housing138114
Food9997
Transport103103
Utilities9699
Healthcare9699
Goods & services10399
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$2,600/mo$1,600/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,900/mo$1,250/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$5,000/mo$2,900/mo
Buy price / m² centre$7,000$4,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$893$964
Inexpensive meal$20$18
Monthly transit pass$112$96
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)37%37%
VAT / sales tax0%0%
Social security (employee)7.7%7.7%
Corporate tax21%21%
Capital gains20%20%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$4,300/mo$4,300/mo
Minimum wage$1,257/mo✓$1,257/mo✓
GDP per capita$90,027✓$90,027✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoNo
English proficiencyNativeNative
Coworking spaces7050
Time zoneUTC-5UTC-5
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)5965
Safety index4545
Healthcare index7680
Pollution index4545
Internet speed200 Mbps200 Mbps
Walkability6079
Public transport5068
Family-friendly5860
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Health insurance$470/mo$450/mo
Life expectancy79 yr✓79 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighHigh
Climate
January avg+20 °C+1 °C
July avg+29 °C+26 °C
Sunny days / year248207
Rainfall / year1,570 mm1,060 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Miami vs Philadelphia — in your currency

MiamiPhiladelphia
1-bed rent, city centre$2,600$1,600
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,900$1,250
Inexpensive meal$20$18
Monthly transit pass$112$96
Utilities (monthly)$180$170

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Miami

No state income tax, beaches and a booming Latin-American business scene — humid, and rents have soared.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-5
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
45/100
Climate
❄ 20°C · ☀ 29°C · 248 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Brickell · Wynwood · Coconut Grove

Good to know before you move to Philadelphia

History, cheesesteaks and East-Coast walkability at a discount to New York, an hour away.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-5
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
45/100
Climate
❄ 1°C · ☀ 26°C · 207 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Center City · Fishtown · University City

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Miami to Philadelphia: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Miami to Philadelphia, your cost of living will be roughly 7% cheaper. Philadelphia’s cost-of-living index is 104 versus 112 for Miami (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Miami cheaper than Philadelphia?

Philadelphia is about 7% cheaper than Miami overall — its cost-of-living index is 104 versus 112 for Miami.

Which is more expensive, Miami or Philadelphia?

Miami is more expensive than Philadelphia. Its cost-of-living index is 112 vs 104 (US = 100) — about 8% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Miami or Philadelphia?

Rent is cheaper in Philadelphia — about $1,600/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,600 in Miami.

How much do you need to earn in Philadelphia to live like in Miami?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Miami is worth about $69,499 in Philadelphia. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Miami or Philadelphia?

Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.

◷ More comparisons from Miami

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.