City comparison
Brookline, MA is about 250 miles (425 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 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 Brookline, MA to Philadelphia, PA 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 62,698 in Brookline — about 25.4× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 6.8 sq mi for Brookline.
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 | Brookline | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,702/mo | $1,250/mo | 116.2% higher in Brookline |
| Median home value | $1,181,200 | $215,500 | 448.1% higher in Brookline |
| Median household income | $130,600 | $57,537 | 127.0% higher in Brookline |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 97.0 | 2.8% higher in Brookline |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 112.3 | 28.5% higher in Brookline |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 101.7 | 1.2% higher in Brookline |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 102.7 | 1.0% higher in Brookline |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Brookline, you'd need $83,081 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 16.9% cheaper overall than Brookline, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% higher in Brookline than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Brookline, you'd need about $66,464 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.