City comparison
Apex, NC is about 350 miles (600 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 450 miles, or about 7 h 30 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 Apex, NC to Philadelphia, PA takes about 43 min, covering roughly 350 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 65,541 in Apex — about 24.3× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Apex.
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 | Apex | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,668/mo | $1,250/mo | 33.4% higher in Apex |
| Median home value | $458,200 | $215,500 | 112.6% higher in Apex |
| Median household income | $129,688 | $57,537 | 125.4% higher in Apex |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 97.0 | ≈ equal (Philadelphia slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.5 | 112.3 | 25.5% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 101.7 | 3.4% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 102.7 | 4.9% 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 Apex, you'd need $105,742 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Apex, NC is about 5.4% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Philadelphia than in Apex. If you earn $80,000 in Apex, you'd need about $84,593 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.