City comparison
Newark, NJ is about 70 miles (125 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 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 Newark, 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 307,355 in Newark — about 5.2× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 24 sq mi for Newark.
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 | Newark | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,273/mo | $1,250/mo | 1.8% higher in Newark |
| Median home value | $312,300 | $215,500 | 44.9% higher in Newark |
| Median household income | $46,460 | $57,537 | 23.8% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 109.6 | 97.0 | 13.0% higher in Newark |
| Utilities index | 128.8 | 112.3 | 14.7% higher in Newark |
| Transportation index | 105.4 | 101.7 | 3.6% higher in Newark |
| Healthcare index | 105.3 | 102.7 | 2.6% higher in Newark |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Newark, you'd need $85,254 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 14.7% cheaper overall than Newark, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% higher in Newark than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Newark, you'd need about $68,203 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.