City comparison
Fort Myers, FL is about 125 miles (200 km) from Orlando, FL 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 Fort Myers, FL to Orlando, FL 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.
Orlando has a population of 307,738, vs 88,699 in Fort Myers — about 3.5× larger by population. By land area, Orlando covers about 110 sq mi vs 40 sq mi for Fort Myers.
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 Myers | Orlando | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $1,509/mo | 14.1% higher in Orlando |
| Median home value | $318,900 | $332,700 | 4.3% higher in Orlando |
| Median household income | $57,403 | $66,292 | 15.5% higher in Orlando |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 87.6 | 87.9 | ≈ equal (Orlando slightly higher) |
| 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 Fort Myers, you'd need $99,926 in Orlando to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Myers and Orlando have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Fort Myers, you'd need about $79,941 in Orlando to keep the same standard of living.