City comparison
Bethlehem, PA is about 40 miles (70 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 55 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 Bethlehem, PA to Philadelphia, PA takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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 76,555 in Bethlehem — about 20.8× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Bethlehem.
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 | Bethlehem | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,218/mo | $1,250/mo | 2.6% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median home value | $220,300 | $215,500 | 2.2% higher in Bethlehem |
| Median household income | $62,072 | $57,537 | 7.9% higher in Bethlehem |
| Groceries index | 100.6 | 97.0 | 3.7% higher in Bethlehem |
| Utilities index | 106.8 | 112.3 | 5.1% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 101.7 | 4.2% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 98.4 | 102.7 | 4.4% 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 Bethlehem, you'd need $104,176 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bethlehem, PA is about 4% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in Philadelphia than in Bethlehem. If you earn $80,000 in Bethlehem, you'd need about $83,341 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.