City comparison
New Bedford, MA is about 250 miles (400 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 h 15 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 New Bedford, MA to Philadelphia, PA takes about 30 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 100,620 in New Bedford — about 15.8× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for New Bedford.
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 | New Bedford | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,026/mo | $1,250/mo | 21.8% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median home value | $291,300 | $215,500 | 35.2% higher in New Bedford |
| Median household income | $54,604 | $57,537 | 5.4% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.0 | ≈ equal (New Bedford slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 112.3 | 28.5% higher in New Bedford |
| 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 New Bedford, you'd need $101,258 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New Bedford, MA is about 1.2% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% higher in Philadelphia than in New Bedford. If you earn $80,000 in New Bedford, you'd need about $81,006 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.