City comparison
Buffalo, NY is about 150 miles (225 km) from Syracuse, NY 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 Buffalo, NY to Syracuse, NY takes about 17 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Buffalo has a population of 276,688, vs 146,134 in Syracuse — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Buffalo covers about 40 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for Syracuse.
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 | Buffalo | Syracuse | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $942/mo | $932/mo | 1.1% higher in Buffalo |
| Median home value | $132,100 | $117,900 | 12.0% higher in Buffalo |
| Median household income | $46,184 | $43,584 | 6.0% higher in Buffalo |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 126.8 | 130.3 | 2.8% higher in Syracuse |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Buffalo, you'd need $100,171 in Syracuse to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Buffalo and Syracuse have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Buffalo, you'd need about $80,137 in Syracuse to keep the same standard of living.