City comparison
Fort Lauderdale, FL is about 30 miles (40 km) from Miami, FL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 32 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL to Miami, FL takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 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.
Miami has a population of 443,665, vs 182,673 in Fort Lauderdale — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Miami covers about 36 sq mi vs 35 sq mi for Fort Lauderdale.
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 | Fort Lauderdale | Miami | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,627/mo | $1,494/mo | 8.9% higher in Fort Lauderdale |
| Median home value | $417,600 | $433,900 | 3.9% higher in Miami |
| Median household income | $75,376 | $54,858 | 37.4% higher in Fort Lauderdale |
| Groceries index | 103.1 | 103.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 97.0 | 97.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 108.3 | 108.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 107.8 | 107.8 | ≈ 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 Fort Lauderdale, you'd need $99,673 in Miami to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Lauderdale and Miami have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Fort Lauderdale, you'd need about $79,738 in Miami to keep the same standard of living.