Cost of Living in Philadelphia, PA (2026): What Renters Should Budget

Updated November 2026. Rent figures reflect October 2026 estimates from Apartment List's November report.

Philadelphia is the least expensive of the large Northeast corridor cities compared in this guide, and still a little above the national median: according to the Apartment List November 2026 Rent Index, the median rent across all apartment sizes is $1,423, about 3% above the U.S. median, and rents are edging up on the year.

Two things set a Philadelphia budget apart from the rent figure. The city wage tax comes out of paychecks before rent, so plan from take-home pay, and electricity and water can each sit inside rent or on your own account depending on the building. The table below carries the bedroom medians, utility estimates, and transit fares, and the sections after it show which lines you can confirm before you sign.

Philadelphia Cost of Living at a Glance

Source for rent rows: Apartment List's November 2026 release; October 2026 rent estimates. Full method and sources are in the appendix.

How to use these numbers: Start with the rent for the unit size you're considering. Add the planning estimates that apply to you, then replace them with listing-specific charges and your expected usage.

What Is the Median Rent in Philadelphia in 2026?

The median one-bedroom rent in Philadelphia is $1,302, two-bedrooms run $1,505, and the all-sizes median is $1,423, according to the Apartment List November 2026 Rent Index. Apartment List reports the median, the market midpoint, rather than an average; its methodology describes it as the rent an apartment searcher could expect across the full rental market.

Rents are rising slowly on the year and dipped in the latest month: the median is up 1.05% over the 12 months through October 2026 but slipped 0.94% in October, while the national median was essentially flat. For a renter that makes these medians a fair benchmark for a listing you see this month, with less room to count on a special than in many cities: 14.1% of Philadelphia properties offered a concession worth at least one month of free rent in October 2026 (Apartment List concession rate).

How Does Philadelphia Rent Compare With Other Northeast Cities?

Philadelphia rents for less than every other large Northeast corridor city compared here, with Baltimore the only close comparison.

Source: Apartment List's November 2026 release; October 2026 rent estimates. City-level medians, not total-cost comparisons.

On the all-sizes median, Washington, Boston, and Jersey City run $746 to $1,106 above Philadelphia. The near end of the table reorders on one-bedrooms: Newark ($1,254) and Baltimore ($1,268) both come in below Philadelphia's $1,302, so compare the size you are shopping before deciding which city is cheaper for you.

Within the region, Philadelphia's median is $154 below the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro's $1,577 on all sizes and $72 below on one-bedrooms. The metro figure includes Philadelphia itself alongside Camden, Wilmington, and the communities around them, so it does not price any one suburb.

What Salary Do You Need to Rent in Philadelphia?

Using the $1,302 median one-bedroom rent from Apartment List's November 2026 report, a rent-only budget of 30% of gross income needs about $52,080 a year.

Source: Apartment List's November 2026 release; October 2026 rent estimates. The shared row is half of the two-bedroom median. The calculation is in the appendix.

The 30% figure is a housing allowance for rent and utilities together, the share the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers affordable, so the table is a starting point rather than a full housing budget. To use it: take 30% of your gross monthly income, set aside the utilities and required housing charges you will pay separately, and what remains is the base rent you can carry. Then test the whole monthly budget against take-home pay, debt, and savings goals. This calculation is a budgeting benchmark; each property sets its own income and screening requirements.

Apartment List research found that 51.8% of U.S. renter households spent more than 30% of income on housing costs including utilities in 2024, a national figure rather than a Philadelphia one. Our guide to the 30% rule and how much to spend on rent walks through when to flex it.

Take-home pay here is reduced by the city wage tax: residents owe 3.735% on earned income wherever the job is, and non-residents who work in the city owe 3.425% on what they earn here (City of Philadelphia, rates effective July 2026). On the $52,080 the one-bedroom median implies, the resident rate withholds about $162 a month. Pennsylvania's state income tax is not priced in this guide.

How Do You Know if You Can Afford a Philadelphia Apartment?

A $60,000 salary gives a $1,500 monthly housing allowance. After about $217 for electricity and water, the base-rent ceiling is about $1,283, which is $19 below the one-bedroom median and $222 below the two-bedroom median. At that income the modeled one-bedroom plus electricity and water exceeds the $1,500 allowance by about $19, so a lower rent, water included in rent, or a shared apartment is what brings the example inside the allowance. The Rent Calculator sets a starting budget from your income, location, and bedroom needs.

What Should You Budget Beyond Rent in Philadelphia?

Price the costs that apply to you, then confirm which charges the building bills separately.

Electricity

Budget about $121 a month if you hold your own electric account and stay on PECO's default supply. That is an illustrative allowance at 500 kWh on 2026 default service, a usage scenario rather than an average apartment bill. Your bill differs with how much you use, whether heat and hot water are electric, the supply price (PECO delivers the power, but Pennsylvania is deregulated, so you can choose a generation supplier or stay on PECO's price to compare, which resets periodically), and PECO's delivery charges and riders. Compare supply offers against the default at PAPowerSwitch, and ask the property whether the unit has its own meter and what a recent winter and summer bill came to.

Water, Sewer, and Stormwater

Budget about $96 a month for water, sewer, and stormwater if the bill is in your name. That is the Philadelphia Water Department's typical residential bill under the rates effective September 1, 2026, and about a quarter of it is the stormwater charge, which is billed on the property rather than your use. Many rowhouse conversions fold water into rent, so ask which arrangement the lease uses before adding this amount; households at or below 150% of the federal poverty level may qualify for the Tiered Assistance Program, which sets the bill as a share of income.

Transit

A regular rider on SEPTA pays $2.90 a ride on bus or Metro, with two free transfers within two hours on a SEPTA Key card or contactless payment, or $116 for a monthly TransPass+, which pays off at 40 rides. Subway, trolley, bus, and Regional Rail reach Center City, University City, South Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia, so whether a car is optional depends on where you land; compare the pass against your own driving costs before ruling out a pricier apartment closer in.

Groceries

About $441 a month for one adult under the national USDA Moderate-Cost plan, September 2026 report. That is a food-at-home planning benchmark, not a Philadelphia price, so adjust it for your household and how often you eat out.

How Do Solo and Shared Philadelphia Budgets Compare?

Source: Apartment List's November 2026 release; October 2026 rent estimates. This illustrative partial budget covers rent, electricity at 500 kWh, the typical water bill, and groceries per person. The shared column splits one two-bedroom, one electric bill, and one water bill equally between two renters, an assumption because a two-bedroom's usage may differ from a one-bedroom's. Groceries do not split.

If water is included in rent, remove this allowance; otherwise replace it with your building's charge.

Splitting a two-bedroom equally costs about $550 a month less per renter in rent than a one-bedroom on your own, about $6,600 a year, and about $658 less once the shared electricity and water bills are included. The two-bedroom median is $203 above the one-bedroom median, but each median is the midpoint of a different pool of apartments, so the step is not the price of adding a bedroom in one building.

Monthly Costs Outside This Example

Compare Philadelphia With Your Current City

If you are moving to Philadelphia from somewhere else, compare total cost rather than rent alone. The Apartment List Cost of Living Calculator compares two cities using after-tax household income, which is where the city wage tax shows up.

What Should You Check Before Applying for a Philadelphia Apartment?

An application fee is an up-front charge for screening your application, separate from a security deposit and any one-time move-in fee. Before you pay one, run three checks:

1. Base rent and charges: compare the listing's rent with your base-rent ceiling, then add its monthly charges (parking, pet, and any utilities the property bills) to the full budget you test against take-home pay after the wage tax.

2. Move-in total: get the amount due at signing in writing, including first month, the security deposit, the application fee, and any administrative or one-time fees. Pennsylvania law caps security deposits at two months' rent in the first year of a lease and one month's rent from the second year on (Pennsylvania Attorney General tenant guide, 68 P.S. § 250.511a).

3. Open questions: ask whether water is in the rent, whether the unit has its own electricity meter and who the current supplier is, whether heat is gas or electric and who pays it, and whether parking is included.

Apartment List is free for renters to use. Confirm any application, administrative, or move-in fees directly with the property.

How Do You Find Lower Rent in Philadelphia?

Rent varies by neighborhood. The Philadelphia neighborhood guides cover price, fit, and published safety data:

• Cheapest neighborhoods in Philadelphia

• Best neighborhoods in Philadelphia

• Safest neighborhoods in Philadelphia

Rate My Rent evaluates a specific apartment's price against comparable local listings.

How Should You Budget for Philadelphia After Rent and the Wage Tax?

Start from take-home pay rather than salary, because the wage tax is withheld before rent, and price electricity and water with the lease in hand, since both can sit inside rent or on your own account. The tradeoff to weigh is a lower base rent against a commute that may need a car instead of the SEPTA pass.

If the building bills water and electricity to you, treat both as part of your housing allowance before you set a base rent. When a listing's rent and charges fit your ceiling, browse Philadelphia apartments and run the same check on real listings.

Appendix: Methodology and Data Sources

Apartment List rent figures throughout this guide come from the Apartment List Rent Estimates, November 2026 release, with data as of October 2026.

Rent. November 2026 release, October 2026 estimates. Philadelphia figures are citywide medians; metro figures cover Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, and the two are labeled separately wherever both appear. The concession rate is the share of properties offering a concession worth at least one month free and is not reflected in the medians.

Calculations. Annual income = monthly rent × 12 ÷ 0.30, rounded to the nearest $10. Shared rent assumes two equal shares of the two-bedroom median ($752.50 each). Modeled utility splits are illustrative, and groceries are per person and do not split. The wage tax example is $52,080 × 3.735% ÷ 12.

Budget assumptions. The illustrative partial budget covers rent, electricity, water with sewer and stormwater, and groceries. Electricity is a budget allowance at 500 kWh on PECO's 2026 default service, before riders, not an exact tariff-derived bill. Water is the Philadelphia Water Department's typical residential bill ($96.16 at 430 cubic feet on a standard meter) under rates effective September 1, 2026. Transportation, the wage tax, internet, phone, insurance, parking, and move-in costs are excluded. Groceries use the September 2026 USDA Moderate-Cost plan for one adult, averaging the adult female and male figures and applying the 20% single-person adjustment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Philadelphia Rent & Cost of Living

What Is the Average Rent in Philadelphia?

Apartment List reports a median rather than an average, because a median better represents a typical apartment and is less distorted by a handful of luxury units. The median all-sizes rent in Philadelphia is $1,423 as of October 2026, with one-bedrooms at $1,302 and two-bedrooms at $1,505.

Is Philadelphia Rent Going Up or Down?

Up slightly over the year, down in the latest month. According to the Apartment List November 2026 Rent Index, Philadelphia rent rose 1.05% over the 12 months through October 2026 and slipped 0.94% in October alone, while the national median was essentially flat.

What Salary Do You Need to Live Comfortably in Philadelphia?

There is no single salary that makes Philadelphia comfortable, since that depends on your debts, savings goals, and how you get around. Using the $1,302 median one-bedroom rent from Apartment List's November 2026 report, a rent-only budget of 30% of gross income needs about $52,080 a year, before the wage tax and utilities; these are budgeting estimates, and each property sets its own income and screening requirements.

How Much Are Utilities in a Philadelphia Apartment?

The example budget allows about $217 for electricity and water combined when both are paid separately. Replace those allowances with your apartment's actual charges. Many rowhouse conversions include water in rent, so confirm what rent covers.

How Much Is the Philadelphia City Wage Tax?

Philadelphia charges residents a wage tax of 3.735% on earned income and non-residents who work in the city 3.425%, under rates effective July 2026. On the $52,080 the one-bedroom median implies at the 30% benchmark, the resident rate is about $162 a month withheld from pay.

How Do Solo and Shared Philadelphia Budgets Compare?

At the October 2026 medians, a two-bedroom costs $752.50 per renter if two people split the rent equally, against $1,302 for a one-bedroom on your own, a difference of about $550 a month before utilities and fees (Apartment List, November 2026 report). With electricity, water, and groceries added, the illustrative partial budget is about $1,960 for a solo renter and about $1,302 per roommate.

Is 30% of Income a Hard Limit for Rent?

No. It is a planning benchmark, and HUD treats housing costs above 30% of income, including utilities, as cost-burdened; Apartment List research found that 51.8% of U.S. renter households spent more than that in 2024.