Two cars with the same mileage can have very different brake wear depending on where those miles were driven. City miles are much harder on brakes than highway miles. Here is why brakes wear faster in the city.
Stop-and-go is the culprit
City driving means constant stopping - traffic lights, stop signs, congestion - and every stop wears the pads a little and makes heat; see why brakes get hot. A highway mile may involve almost no braking, while a city mile can involve several hard stops.
Highway miles are easy
On the highway you can cruise for long stretches barely touching the brakes, so those miles add up on the odometer without much brake wear. This is why a highway-driven car often has brakes that last far longer than a city car of the same mileage.
Front brakes take it hardest
All that city stopping loads the fronts most, so front pads wear quickly in urban use; see why front brakes wear faster. Rideshare and delivery drivers see this dramatically; see rideshare brake wear.
How to help
Anticipate and coast to slowdowns instead of hard braking, and inspect the fronts more often if you drive mostly in town; see when to replace pads. Fit quality pads and hardware.