Kept

City vs city

Philadelphia vs Los Angeles

$100,000 in Philadelphia buys a lifestyle closer to $135,000 in Los Angeles, because Los Angeles's cost-of-living index is 149 versus 110.

Philadelphia

The wage tax is the paycheck surprise. Housing is cheap for a city this large.

COL index
110
Typical 1-bed
$1,650/mo
Comfortable salary
$94,000
$100k take-home
$72,360
Full Philadelphia guide

Los Angeles

Large, spread-out, and car-dependent. Housing and insurance push costs well above the US average.

COL index
149
Typical 1-bed
$2,550/mo
Comfortable salary
$127,000
$100k take-home
$73,957
Full Los Angeles guide

More comparisons: vs New York Cityvs San Franciscovs San Josevs Oaklandvs Los Angelesvs San Diego