City comparison
Elizabeth, NJ is about 70 miles (100 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 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 Elizabeth, NJ to Philadelphia, PA takes about 8 min, covering roughly 70 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 135,665 in Elizabeth — about 11.7× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for Elizabeth.
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 | Elizabeth | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,390/mo | $1,250/mo | 11.2% higher in Elizabeth |
| Median home value | $358,400 | $215,500 | 66.3% higher in Elizabeth |
| Median household income | $59,939 | $57,537 | 4.2% higher in Elizabeth |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 97.0 | 12.8% higher in Elizabeth |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 112.3 | 10.9% higher in Elizabeth |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 101.7 | 3.2% higher in Elizabeth |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 102.7 | 3.0% higher in Elizabeth |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Elizabeth, you'd need $85,336 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 14.7% cheaper overall than Elizabeth, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Elizabeth than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Elizabeth, you'd need about $68,269 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.