City comparison
Alexandria, VA is about 125 miles (225 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 2 h 45 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 Alexandria, VA to Philadelphia, PA takes about 16 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 157,594 in Alexandria — about 10.1× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Alexandria.
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 | Alexandria | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,983/mo | $1,250/mo | 58.6% higher in Alexandria |
| Median home value | $655,700 | $215,500 | 204.3% higher in Alexandria |
| Median household income | $113,179 | $57,537 | 96.7% higher in Alexandria |
| Groceries index | 104.6 | 97.0 | 7.8% higher in Alexandria |
| Utilities index | 105.0 | 112.3 | 7.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 101.7 | 0.5% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 102.7 | 1.2% higher in Philadelphia |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alexandria, you'd need $86,068 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 13.9% cheaper overall than Alexandria, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% higher in Alexandria than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $68,855 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.