The McDonald’s barometer

The contrast between living expenses in New York and any smaller city can be significant. Since NYC is the most expensive city in the US, moving to Philadelphia will help out your wallet as well. Food and groceries in New York are 13.8% more expensive than in Philadelphia and, overall, New York is 60.6% more expensive than Philly. The best example is comparing the cost of the biggest fast food chain’s McMeal where one costs $10 in NYC and $8 in Philly.

Housing

Median Home Cost is the biggest factor in the cost of living difference, noticing that it is 195% more expensive in New York. That being said, statistics have also shown that housing in New York is 343.9% more expensive than in Philadelphia. These numbers are very high which helps you add more pros to your “Moving to Philly” list.

Job opportunities

With an average annual salary pay of $72k in Philly doesn’t seem much versus New York’s $83k, but considering living costs differences in numbers, 11k means a lot. The most common companies in this city are Comcast Cable, Inc., Anthropologie, Inc., Temple University, The Boeing Company,… While some of the most popular occupations are Software Engineer, Project Manager, and Operations Manager which pays between $44k and $132k per year.

Culture

Philadelphia has one of the richest historical landmarks in America. Once you decide it’s time to explore, you can check out Rittenhouse Square, Old City (where most historical attractions are located), Washington Square, or the Center City.

The Barnes Foundation is one of the world’s greatest collections of art, so you’ll never get tired of filling your days with some colors. The Betsy Ross House is a must. It is the actual 18th-century house where Betsy Ross lived while she sewed the 1st American flag in 1776, commissioned to her by George Washington.

Transportation

The City of Brotherly Love was rated as one of the best walking cities in the US. A lot of attractions are grouped so you can even make a tour of some of them in just a few hours on foot. Like all walking cities, Philly also has a great love for bikes, offering thousands of bikes available for rent. You can download their Ride Indego app to do that.

SEPTA – The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has multiple options for transportation including buses, subways, trolleys, trains, and rail routes spread throughout the town. You can choose single-ride tickets or even day, week, or monthly passes on a key card where you can load fares.

Food & beer

Cheesesteaks, hoagies, pretzels, crab fries, scrapple, the list goes on. Philadelphia, aka food heaven, is home to several food treasure spots like:
Chickie’s & Pete’s and their signature Crabfries. DINIC’S , a Dutch Eating Place, a diner run by Amish & Mennonite families known for their huge pancakes, apple dumplings, and homemade chicken pot pies. Federal Donuts or FedNuts, a Korean-styled spot famous for its fried chicken, coffee, and unique donut flavors like cookies & cream, carrot cake, and Mississippi mud. The Philly cheesesteak; Philadelphia’s most iconic food!
If you love beer, this city is your dream city. What Philadelphians love more than food is beer. And they have some top-quality breweries to prove that. Philly has been recognized as one of the best beer cities in the US, so rest assured you won’t be disappointed.

Education

Education in the largest city of Pennsylvania has a rich history that began with Benjamin Franklin founding the University of Pennsylvania. This city is home to around 240 public schools with 163 elementary schools, 23 middle schools, and 56 high schools. With 55 universities in the area, one of the best ones are University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Drexel University, Villanova University, and Bryn Mawr College to name a few.