City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 125 miles (200 km) from Washington, DC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Washington, DC takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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 670,587 in Washington — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 61 sq mi for Washington.
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 | Washington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,817/mo | 45.4% higher in Washington |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $705,000 | 227.1% higher in Washington |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $101,722 | 76.8% higher in Washington |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 104.6 | 7.8% higher in Washington |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 105.0 | 7.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 101.2 | 0.5% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 101.5 | 1.2% 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 $115,716 in Washington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 13.6% cheaper overall than Washington, DC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% higher in Washington than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $92,573 in Washington to keep the same standard of living.