City comparison
Alafaya, FL is about 60 miles (90 km) from The Villages, FL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Alafaya, FL to The Villages, FL takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 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.
Alafaya has a population of 91,531, vs 79,108 in The Villages — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, The Villages covers about 33 sq mi vs 31 sq mi for Alafaya.
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 | Alafaya | The Villages | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,768/mo | $1,711/mo | 3.3% higher in Alafaya |
| Median home value | $361,800 | $346,900 | 4.3% higher in Alafaya |
| Median household income | $93,251 | $73,415 | 27.0% higher in Alafaya |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 87.9 | 89.5 | 1.9% higher in The Villages |
| Transportation index | 99.0 | 99.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.5 | 98.5 | ≈ 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 Alafaya, you'd need $74,544 in The Villages to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
The Villages, FL is about 25.5% cheaper overall than Alafaya, FL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 111% higher in Alafaya than in The Villages. If you earn $80,000 in Alafaya, you'd need about $59,635 in The Villages to keep the same standard of living.