City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 350 miles (550 km) from Portland, ME in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 450 miles, or about 7 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 Philadelphia, PA to Portland, ME takes about 43 min, covering roughly 350 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 68,280 in Portland — about 23.3× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 22 sq mi for Portland.
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 | Philadelphia | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,377/mo | 10.2% higher in Portland |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $411,600 | 91.0% higher in Portland |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $71,498 | 24.3% higher in Portland |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 97.5 | ≈ equal (Portland slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 131.4 | 17.0% higher in Portland |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 102.5 | 0.8% higher in Portland |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 103.3 | 0.6% higher in Portland |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need $99,388 in Portland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portland, ME is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% higher in Philadelphia than in Portland. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $79,511 in Portland to keep the same standard of living.