2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
State College, PA vs Philadelphia, PA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Philadelphia or is it cheaper to live in State College?
- Philadelphia is 9.3% more expensive than State College.

Which city has more affordable housing, Philadelphia or State College?
- Philadelphia housing costs are 32.5% less expensive than State College housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in State College or is Health Care more affordable in Philadelphia.
- Health related expenses are 19.0% less in Philadelphia.
 State College, PAPhiladelphia, PAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock104.3100
 Food & Groceries107.8  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock102.1100
 Housing112.4  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$205,900$338,100
 Utilities90  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock141.9100
 Miscellaneous126.3  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for State College    27 Reviews

I relocated to State College about 30 years ago. We hadn’t planned to stay this long, but life here is “easy”. Outdoor activities are ample. There are many beautiful  More

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State College is a small "safe" town, you will always see friends, coworkers, physicians, mechanics, supervisors...at the doctor's office, in the store, near your home,  More

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Over 15 years ago

I lived in State College, PA all my life untill 2006 when we finally moved south where it was warmer. State College itself is a fun place to be when it comes to football  More

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Reviews for Philadelphia    139 Reviews

Philadelphia is a very walkable and fun city to explore (albeit be aware of where not to explore at least at night). The city has beautiful old architecture , great  More

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I’m originally from New York City, then lived in a small city in upstate New York for eight years, then moved down to Philadelphia and have lived here for many years.  More

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Now the only reason some people disagree is because MONEY. If you live in “manayunk” (which I lived for 2 years) you can’t compare … you can’t compare your out skirt  More

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