City comparison
Albany, NY is about 250 miles (425 km) from Buffalo, NY in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Albany, NY to Buffalo, NY takes about 31 min, covering roughly 250 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Buffalo has a population of 276,688, vs 99,692 in Albany — about 2.8× larger by population. By land area, Buffalo covers about 40 sq mi vs 21 sq mi for Albany.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Albany | Buffalo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,130/mo | $942/mo | 20.0% higher in Albany |
| Median home value | $213,400 | $132,100 | 61.5% higher in Albany |
| Median household income | $54,736 | $46,184 | 18.5% higher in Albany |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 130.9 | 126.8 | 3.3% higher in Albany |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Albany, you'd need $90,987 in Buffalo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Buffalo, NY is about 9% cheaper overall than Albany, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% higher in Albany than in Buffalo. If you earn $80,000 in Albany, you'd need about $72,790 in Buffalo to keep the same standard of living.