Major cities in the US are some of the most expensive in the world. New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and more. More often than not, it'd cost you an arm and a leg to live a comfortable life there. Then again, there are those cities, just as popular and populous as the aforementioned places, where you don't have to risk bankruptcy just to maintain a standard lifestyle. One such is Philadelphia. Home to historic artifacts and the famous cheesesteaks, the living costs here aren't as high as you might think. Here's what you need to know.
Costs of Renting in Philadelphia
A good way to determine just how expensive it is to live in a certain city is to check out its common rental fees. Here in Philadelphia, they range from $800.00 to $4,000.00 a month. Though most cities, like
New York and
Los Angeles, have their common rental fees within the thousands range, they mostly go way beyond those in Philadelphia. In fact, it's virtually impossible to find a place in New York that'd cost less than $1,000.00 a month. But here in Philadelphia, a simple
luxury apartment outside the city center can cost as low as $800.00 a month!
Costs of Buying Property in Philadelphia
Argubaly the most expensive purchase you'll make here in Philadelphia is buying your own property. Since it's a major city, a large one at that, and central to the state of Pennsylvania, land is incredibly costly here. How expensive is it? Well. the common price range for properties located in the central
districts of Philadelphia is from $3,229.17 to $6,575.86 per square meter. Land located along the outskirts of the city, however, would cost you $1,178.10 to $2,152.78 per square meter. Multiply those figures by the total number of square meters of your land you've got a price that might overwhelm you!
Utilities Costs
At the very least, your utility costs in Philadelphia aren't half bad! For your basic monthly bills, you'll only have to pay around $100.00 to $275.00! This will already include your electricity, water, heating, garbage disposal, and the like. Of course, if you live in a bigger home and use more appliances than the average household, expect your utility costs to be much higher. What about your wifi? How much will you have to pay for that? Approximately $45.00 to $100.00 per month. Unless you get a good deal from a
local telecommunications company to give you a better and cheaper price!
Food Costs
What about food costs? Is food expensive in Philadelphia? The answer is not at all. Though food isn't necessarily cheap in Philadelphia, your regular food costs here are still lower than those in other countries. In fact, you can already get a good amount of groceries with just a little over a hundred dollars. To be more precise, the total common median price for food in Philadelphia is $104.57. This will already include milk, a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, fruits, vegetables, meats, snacks, and even alcohol if you like! And they will all last you around one-to-two weeks too!
Dining Costs
Despite its famous 'Philly Cheesesteak,' Philadelphia isn't exactly a food capital of the world. In the US, that mantle has been taken up by New York and Los Angeles. Nevertheless.
Philadelphia's finest restaurants still offer delicious dishes and exceptional servings of local and foreign cuisines. Just make sure you have the budget to eat in any of them! If you don't you can always stick to a meal in an affordable place. That'd only cost you $10.00 to $25.00 tops! What about a dinner for two? Well, eating at a mid-range place would cost $40.00 to $80.00 for both meals!
Transportation Costs
If you don't have a car in Philadelphia, you don't have to worry!
The city's public transport is a great alternative to get to where you need to be. And it's relatively cheap too! For one thing, you can get any of the local city travel passes offered here that cost up to $13.00 each. They'll give you unlimited access to all the public transport systems in Philadelphia for a whole day, a whole week, or even a whole month! And even if you don't get any of the travel passes, a single-ride ticket to a bus, trolley, and the like would only cost you $2.50 to $5.00 each.
Clothing Costs
You'd think that, since Philadelphia is a big city, it's worthy enough to be a fashion capital, right? After all, New York and Los Angeles are known for their fashions and are similarly big cities. However, Philadelphia isn't exactly known for its style. Sure, many
American fashion designers have stores here and the like, but overall, shopping for clothes in this city isn't all that expensive. Any piece from a
high street brand here would only cost around $15.00 to $40.00 tops! Want a new pair of sneakers? It'll only cost you $50.00 to $90.00 for them!
Leisure Costs
When you have some free time, what do you want to do? Many of you would like to work out, wouldn't you? In that case, you can always go to any of the city's gyms and fitness centers. It will only cost you $10.00 to $70.00 for a monthly membership. That is if you go for mid-range places. Luxurious fitness clubs will, of course, cost you a lot more! Another popular option is to watch a movie during the weekends. A ticket here would normally cost around $12.00 to $15.00 each. Not bad right? Just add a little more for popcorn and you're good to go!
Childcare & Education Costs
Finally, there are the expenses for your kids. While they're still little, you'd want them to stay safe and secure, right? Any of the city's best private daycare centers will do! And you'll only have to pay around $639.00 to $1,200.00 per month to enroll your kid! When he/she grows older, you'll want to enroll them in some of
Philadelphia's finest schools, wouldn't you? If that's the case, get ready to shell out $7,000.00 to $35,000.00 per year for his/her tuition fee. And you can't even imagine how much college will cost here too!
For a city as big as Philadelphia, you'd expect it to cost you a lot of money, don't you? Well, even though it's not exactly a cheap city, it's not that expensive either! You can still live here comfortably without having to shell out most of your money!
