City comparison
Oklahoma City, OK is about 100 miles (175 km) from Tulsa, OK in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 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 Oklahoma City, OK to Tulsa, OK takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 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.
Oklahoma City has a population of 681,088, vs 411,938 in Tulsa — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Oklahoma City covers about 605 sq mi vs 200 sq mi for Tulsa.
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 | Oklahoma City | Tulsa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,012/mo | $958/mo | 5.6% higher in Oklahoma City |
| Median home value | $196,700 | $174,200 | 12.9% higher in Oklahoma City |
| Median household income | $64,251 | $56,648 | 13.4% higher in Oklahoma City |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 75.9 | 75.7 | ≈ equal (Oklahoma City slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 95.9 | 95.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.4 | 95.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Oklahoma City, you'd need $97,225 in Tulsa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tulsa, OK is about 2.8% cheaper overall than Oklahoma City, OK, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in Oklahoma City than in Tulsa. If you earn $80,000 in Oklahoma City, you'd need about $77,780 in Tulsa to keep the same standard of living.