Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philadelphia, PA and Fairfax, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Philadelphia, PA: $2,823 a month against $3,428 in Fairfax, VA, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fairfax, VA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

136

Cost of Living Index in Philadelphia, PA
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Philadelphia, PA Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA Living Index

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Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,823

/mo nomad

Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Philadelphia, PA and in Fairfax, VA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Philadelphia, PA and in Fairfax, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Philadelphia, PA versus $3,428 in Fairfax, VA.

Philadelphia, PA $2,823
Fairfax, VA $3,428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,218 in Philadelphia, PA versus $4,787 in Fairfax, VA.

Philadelphia, PA $4,218
Fairfax, VA $4,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,612 in Philadelphia, PA versus $6,147 in Fairfax, VA.

Philadelphia, PA $5,612
Fairfax, VA $6,147

Living in Philadelphia, PA costs roughly 18% less than in Fairfax, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Philadelphia, PA 107% above, Fairfax, VA 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.40 $23.40

$19.15 $19.15

22.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$96.5 $96.5

-11.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 $12.73

$11.84 $11.84

7.52%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$6.08 $6.08

-12.50%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.20 $3.20

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.52 $2.52

-11.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$6.85 $6.85

-14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$8.06 $8.06

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.10 $1.10

31.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.07 $4.07

6.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$5.39 $5.39

30.61%

Eggs

$4.93 $4.93

$5.40 $5.40

-8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$16.98 $16.98

-29.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 $12.45

$14.95 $14.95

-16.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 $17.21

$18.63 $18.63

-7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$5.89 $5.89

-5.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.26 $2.26

-29.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$5.79 $5.79

-3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$5.73 $5.73

-2.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.76 $2.76

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.74 $3.74

-14.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.45 $2.45

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.68 $2.68

-5.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.03 $12.03

$13.63 $13.63

-11.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$15.84 $15.84

-3.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.63 $2.63

-11.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.54 $4.54

-3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.70 $2.70

10.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 $117

$68.7 $68.7

70.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.98 $2.98

-5.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.47 $1.47

7.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.53 $23.53

$24.06 $24.06

-2.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.07 $1.07

2.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.8K $31.8K

$35.6K $35.6K

-10.68%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.15%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$224 $224

$212 $212

5.35%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$65.6 $65.6

-1.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$77.3 $77.3

-12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 $71.1

$68.6 $68.6

3.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$88.9 $88.9

$25.20 $25.20

252.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$17.96 $17.96

-15.76%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,117 $2,117

$1,906 $1,906

11.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.8K $41.8K

$35.2K $35.2K

18.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$52.5 $52.5

-4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.91 $43.91

$54.9 $54.9

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$92.6 $92.6

10.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$112 $112

26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,069 $2,069

$2,474 $2,474

-16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,920 $1,920

-33.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,571 $4,571

$3,353 $3,353

36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 $2,103

$2,733 $2,733

-23.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,141 $4,141

$5,371 $5,371

-22.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,890 $1,890

$3,702 $3,702

-48.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,139 $4,139

$5,746 $5,746

-27.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.72

-0.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Philadelphia, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Philadelphia, PA

$1.3K 44.9%

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 56% 51.3% $651

Groceries & Markets

Philadelphia, PA

$450 15.9%

Fairfax, VA

$483 14.1% 7.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philadelphia, PA

$356 12.6%

Fairfax, VA

$355 10.4% 0.2% $0.8

Eating Out

Philadelphia, PA

$356 12.6%

Fairfax, VA

$335 9.8% 5.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Philadelphia, PA

$152 5.4%

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1% 8% $12

Getting Around

Philadelphia, PA

$139 4.9%

Fairfax, VA

$90 2.6% 35.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Philadelphia, PA

$101 3.6%

Fairfax, VA

$105 3.1% 3.2% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,069 in Philadelphia, PA and $2,474 in Fairfax, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfax, VA pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Philadelphia, PA vs $97 in Fairfax, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $483 per month, with Philadelphia, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🕒 Local time

01:19 1:19 AM

Same time as Philadelphia, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,573,916

24,146

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Philadelphia, PA Fairfax, VA 220 km

From you

Philadelphia, PA
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Philadelphia, PA vs Fairfax, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Philadelphia, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Fairfax, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Philadelphia, PA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Philadelphia, PA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,069 in Philadelphia, PA versus $2,474 in Fairfax, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Fairfax, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Philadelphia, PA – a meal for two runs $85 versus $97 in Fairfax, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Philadelphia, PA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Philadelphia, PA wins on affordability, Fairfax, VA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.