City comparison
New Haven, CT is about 150 miles (225 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 3 h 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 Haven, CT to Philadelphia, PA takes about 18 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 135,736 in New Haven — about 11.7× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for New Haven.
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 Haven | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,402/mo | $1,250/mo | 12.2% higher in New Haven |
| Median home value | $236,500 | $215,500 | 9.7% higher in New Haven |
| Median household income | $54,305 | $57,537 | 6.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 106.7 | 97.0 | 10.0% higher in New Haven |
| Utilities index | 128.3 | 112.3 | 14.2% higher in New Haven |
| Transportation index | 104.3 | 101.7 | 2.5% higher in New Haven |
| Healthcare index | 105.1 | 102.7 | 2.3% higher in New Haven |
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 Haven, you'd need $87,048 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 13% cheaper overall than New Haven, CT, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% higher in New Haven than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in New Haven, you'd need about $69,639 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.