South ranking
90 Florida cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 81
Index 128
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Villages | 81 | $1,711/mo | $73,415 | 79K | Compare → |
| 2 | Tallahassee | 89 | $1,165/mo | $52,899 | 198K | Compare → |
| 3 | Ocala | 92 | $1,166/mo | $50,618 | 64K | Compare → |
| 4 | Gainesville | 95 | $1,151/mo | $43,783 | 142K | Compare → |
| 5 | Winter Haven | 96 | $1,113/mo | $56,425 | 51K | Compare → |
| 6 | Lakeland | 96 | $1,217/mo | $58,290 | 114K | Compare → |
| 7 | Pensacola | 97 | $1,150/mo | $67,722 | 54K | Compare → |
| 8 | Poinciana | 100 | $1,509/mo | $60,928 | 69K | Compare → |
| 9 | Daytona Beach | 101 | $1,186/mo | $47,608 | 73K | Compare → |
| 10 | Port Orange | 101 | $1,355/mo | $65,026 | 63K | Compare → |
| 11 | Deltona | 102 | $1,417/mo | $69,074 | 94K | Compare → |
| 12 | Jacksonville | 102 | $1,281/mo | $64,138 | 950K | Compare → |
| 13 | Titusville | 102 | $1,156/mo | $56,700 | 49K | Compare → |
| 14 | Palm Coast | 102 | $1,621/mo | $68,824 | 91K | Compare → |
| 15 | Melbourne | 103 | $1,303/mo | $60,917 | 85K | Compare → |
| 16 | Fort Pierce | 103 | $1,106/mo | $45,121 | 47K | Compare → |
| 17 | Palm Bay | 103 | $1,345/mo | $62,538 | 122K | Compare → |
| 18 | Port Charlotte | 104 | $1,214/mo | $58,799 | 64K | Compare → |
| 19 | Port St. Lucie | 104 | $1,684/mo | $75,040 | 211K | Compare → |
| 20 | University CDP (Hillsborough County) | 107 | $1,105/mo | $34,833 | 49K | Compare → |
| 21 | Pine Hills | 107 | $1,339/mo | $49,474 | 83K | Compare → |
| 22 | Sanford | 107 | $1,402/mo | $59,181 | 61K | Compare → |
| 23 | Spring Hill | 107 | $1,223/mo | $61,588 | 117K | Compare → |
| 24 | Kissimmee | 107 | $1,419/mo | $45,319 | 78K | Compare → |
| 25 | St. Cloud | 108 | $1,470/mo | $69,366 | 60K | Compare → |
| 26 | Altamonte Springs | 108 | $1,474/mo | $61,714 | 46K | Compare → |
| 27 | Orlando | 108 | $1,509/mo | $66,292 | 308K | Compare → |
| 28 | Fort Myers | 108 | $1,322/mo | $57,403 | 89K | Compare → |
| 29 | Largo | 108 | $1,350/mo | $56,266 | 83K | Compare → |
| 30 | Pinellas Park | 108 | $1,356/mo | $62,306 | 53K | Compare → |
| 31 | Clearwater | 108 | $1,389/mo | $59,358 | 117K | Compare → |
| 32 | Winter Garden | 108 | $1,590/mo | $101,953 | 47K | Compare → |
| 33 | St. Petersburg | 108 | $1,410/mo | $70,333 | 259K | Compare → |
| 34 | Tampa | 108 | $1,422/mo | $66,802 | 389K | Compare → |
| 35 | Lehigh Acres | 108 | $1,398/mo | $59,733 | 124K | Compare → |
| 36 | Four Corners | 108 | $1,690/mo | $72,931 | 57K | Compare → |
| 37 | Town 'n' Country | 108 | $1,536/mo | $63,947 | 89K | Compare → |
| 38 | Palm Harbor | 108 | $1,567/mo | $70,493 | 62K | Compare → |
| 39 | Brandon | 108 | $1,570/mo | $71,156 | 115K | Compare → |
| 40 | Ocoee | 108 | $1,756/mo | $88,828 | 47K | Compare → |
| 41 | Alafaya | 108 | $1,768/mo | $93,251 | 92K | Compare → |
| 42 | Apopka | 109 | $1,828/mo | $87,394 | 55K | Compare → |
| 43 | Cape Coral | 109 | $1,630/mo | $72,474 | 199K | Compare → |
| 44 | Bonita Springs | 109 | $1,681/mo | $84,668 | 54K | Compare → |
| 45 | Riverview | 109 | $1,757/mo | $87,383 | 102K | Compare → |
| 46 | Bradenton | 109 | $1,367/mo | $55,795 | 56K | Compare → |
| 47 | Wesley Chapel | 109 | $1,837/mo | $100,983 | 69K | Compare → |
| 48 | Sarasota | 109 | $1,417/mo | $68,870 | 56K | Compare → |
| 49 | North Port | 110 | $1,547/mo | $78,815 | 77K | Compare → |
| 50 | Horizon West | 110 | $2,172/mo | $118,064 | 59K | Compare → |
| 51 | North Miami | 125 | $1,444/mo | $49,069 | 60K | Compare → |
| 52 | Hialeah | 125 | $1,458/mo | $49,531 | 223K | Compare → |
| 53 | Hollywood | 125 | $1,463/mo | $61,958 | 153K | Compare → |
| 54 | Miami | 125 | $1,494/mo | $54,858 | 444K | Compare → |
| 55 | Lauderhill | 125 | $1,496/mo | $48,523 | 74K | Compare → |
| 56 | Oakland Park | 125 | $1,504/mo | $64,989 | 44K | Compare → |
| 57 | Margate | 125 | $1,513/mo | $56,324 | 58K | Compare → |
| 58 | Pompano Beach | 125 | $1,527/mo | $61,155 | 112K | Compare → |
| 59 | Homestead | 125 | $1,527/mo | $57,739 | 80K | Compare → |
| 60 | Deerfield Beach | 125 | $1,575/mo | $53,741 | 86K | Compare → |
| 61 | Miami Gardens | 125 | $1,583/mo | $56,071 | 112K | Compare → |
| 62 | West Palm Beach | 125 | $1,614/mo | $64,044 | 118K | Compare → |
| 63 | Westchester | 125 | $1,623/mo | $74,175 | 54K | Compare → |
| 64 | Fort Lauderdale | 125 | $1,627/mo | $75,376 | 183K | Compare → |
| 65 | Miami Beach | 125 | $1,654/mo | $65,116 | 82K | Compare → |
| 66 | Tamarac | 126 | $1,690/mo | $59,140 | 72K | Compare → |
| 67 | Country Club | 126 | $1,694/mo | $66,140 | 51K | Compare → |
| 68 | Kendall | 126 | $1,756/mo | $84,026 | 78K | Compare → |
| 69 | Kendale Lakes | 126 | $1,758/mo | $65,517 | 53K | Compare → |
| 70 | Pembroke Pines | 126 | $1,787/mo | $77,657 | 170K | Compare → |
| 71 | Boynton Beach | 126 | $1,789/mo | $68,875 | 80K | Compare → |
| 72 | Davie | 126 | $1,805/mo | $84,346 | 106K | Compare → |
| 73 | Cutler Bay | 126 | $1,806/mo | $78,569 | 45K | Compare → |
| 74 | Coral Springs | 126 | $1,818/mo | $87,488 | 134K | Compare → |
| 75 | Delray Beach | 126 | $1,821/mo | $76,558 | 67K | Compare → |
| 76 | Fountainebleau | 126 | $1,820/mo | $60,623 | 57K | Compare → |
| 77 | North Lauderdale | 126 | $1,839/mo | $60,168 | 45K | Compare → |
| 78 | Miramar | 126 | $1,840/mo | $81,812 | 135K | Compare → |
| 79 | Sunrise | 126 | $1,846/mo | $66,001 | 97K | Compare → |
| 80 | Tamiami | 126 | $1,848/mo | $72,645 | 53K | Compare → |
| 81 | Coconut Creek | 126 | $1,884/mo | $72,740 | 58K | Compare → |
| 82 | The Hammocks | 126 | $1,944/mo | $79,139 | 60K | Compare → |
| 83 | Coral Gables | 126 | $1,954/mo | $118,203 | 50K | Compare → |
| 84 | Jupiter | 126 | $2,002/mo | $105,413 | 61K | Compare → |
| 85 | Plantation | 126 | $2,004/mo | $83,074 | 93K | Compare → |
| 86 | Palm Beach Gardens | 127 | $2,053/mo | $106,544 | 59K | Compare → |
| 87 | Boca Raton | 127 | $2,170/mo | $95,570 | 98K | Compare → |
| 88 | Wellington | 127 | $2,304/mo | $105,848 | 61K | Compare → |
| 89 | Doral | 128 | $2,393/mo | $83,823 | 75K | Compare → |
| 90 | Weston | 128 | $2,631/mo | $132,832 | 68K | Compare → |
Florida has a handful of real selling points, and they're concrete rather than vague. Real low-cost-of-living options exist here and wage income stays untaxed at the state level are the headliners, plus 5 more.
The Villages ranks as Florida's most affordable city at a composite cost index of 81 (19% below US average). Worth a look as a baseline for the cost ceiling — most of the rest of the state's cities are more expensive than this, not less.
Florida sits in the small club of US states with no income tax on wage and salary income. The savings versus a high-tax state can run to five figures a year for higher earners, and the math gets more interesting the longer you stay.
Across our Florida city data, typical household income lands near $70,003. That's above the national median, which puts more cushion under whatever the local cost of living happens to be.
Living in Florida comes with access to Jacksonville, a city of roughly 950,203 with the infrastructure that follows from real urban scale. The benefit isn't just for the people inside the city limits — the airport, hospitals, and labor market serve most of the state.
Florida has 90 cities in our ranking, covering a real spread of size, density, and cost. People talk about a state like it's monolithic; in practice, the place you actually live varies a lot, and Florida gives you a real menu to pick from.
Living in Florida puts both Atlantic and Gulf coastline within driving range of most of the state. The practical upshot: weekend beach trips, easier access to seafood that hasn't been on a truck for a week, and a milder climate near the coast than the same latitude would have inland.
Living in Florida means a light jacket is the most you'll need most days of the year. Outdoor life keeps going through what would be the coldest months elsewhere, heating bills stay low, and beach or outdoor plans aren't seasonal.
Reasons reflect aggregated city data for Florida (Census ACS, BLS, BEA) plus well-known state-level geography. We only list points that are actually supported — different states show different sections.
Across Florida, The Villages is the most affordable city we track (cost index 81, with median rent around $1,711/mo), while Weston sits at the top of the range with an index of 128—roughly 59% pricier than The Villages. Use the table above to compare any Florida city directly against The Villages.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.