City comparison
Brookhaven, GA is about 100 miles (150 km) from Columbus, GA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 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 Brookhaven, GA to Columbus, GA takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 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.
Columbus has a population of 204,572, vs 56,848 in Brookhaven — about 3.6× larger by population. By land area, Columbus covers about 215 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for Brookhaven.
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 | Brookhaven | Columbus | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,711/mo | $1,038/mo | 64.8% higher in Brookhaven |
| Median home value | $626,800 | $168,400 | 272.2% higher in Brookhaven |
| Median household income | $114,570 | $54,561 | 110.0% higher in Brookhaven |
| Groceries index | 100.3 | 96.5 | 3.9% higher in Brookhaven |
| Utilities index | 96.1 | 90.1 | 6.6% higher in Brookhaven |
| Transportation index | 97.0 | 98.8 | 1.8% higher in Columbus |
| Healthcare index | 96.5 | 98.2 | 1.8% higher in Columbus |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Brookhaven, you'd need $79,074 in Columbus to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus, GA is about 20.9% cheaper overall than Brookhaven, GA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 80% higher in Brookhaven than in Columbus. If you earn $80,000 in Brookhaven, you'd need about $63,259 in Columbus to keep the same standard of living.