City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 225 miles (375 km) from Portsmouth, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 45 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 Portsmouth, VA takes about 27 min, covering roughly 225 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 97,384 in Portsmouth — about 16.4× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Portsmouth.
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 | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,225/mo | 2.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $213,300 | 1.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $57,154 | 0.7% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 96.9 | ≈ equal (Philadelphia slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 90.0 | 24.7% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 98.8 | 3.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 98.3 | 4.5% higher in Philadelphia |
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 $92,180 in Portsmouth to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portsmouth, VA is about 7.8% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% higher in Philadelphia than in Portsmouth. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $73,744 in Portsmouth to keep the same standard of living.