City comparison
Melbourne, FL is about 10 miles (20 km) from Palm Bay, FL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 13 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 Melbourne, FL to Palm Bay, FL takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Palm Bay has a population of 121,513, vs 84,982 in Melbourne — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Palm Bay covers about 87 sq mi vs 44 sq mi for Melbourne.
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 | Melbourne | Palm Bay | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,303/mo | $1,345/mo | 3.2% higher in Palm Bay |
| Median home value | $247,300 | $226,200 | 9.3% higher in Melbourne |
| Median household income | $60,917 | $62,538 | 2.7% higher in Palm Bay |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 88.7 | 88.7 | ≈ equal |
| 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 Melbourne, you'd need $100,117 in Palm Bay to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Melbourne and Palm Bay have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Melbourne, you'd need about $80,094 in Palm Bay to keep the same standard of living.