City comparison
Cranston, RI is about 225 miles (375 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 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 Cranston, RI to Philadelphia, PA takes about 27 min, covering roughly 225 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 82,691 in Cranston — about 19.3× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Cranston.
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 | Cranston | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,270/mo | $1,250/mo | 1.6% higher in Cranston |
| Median home value | $326,000 | $215,500 | 51.3% higher in Cranston |
| Median household income | $83,123 | $57,537 | 44.5% higher in Cranston |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.0 | ≈ equal (Cranston slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 112.3 | 28.5% higher in Cranston |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 101.7 | ≈ equal (Philadelphia slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 102.5 | 102.7 | ≈ equal (Philadelphia slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cranston, you'd need $100,558 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Cranston, RI is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in Philadelphia than in Cranston. If you earn $80,000 in Cranston, you'd need about $80,447 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.