City comparison
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 | Gainesville | Lakeland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,151/mo | $1,217/mo | 5.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $216,600 | $207,800 | 4.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $43,783 | $58,290 | 24.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 97.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.2 | 89.3 | 1.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.4 | 99.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ 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 Gainesville, you'd need $101,537 in Lakeland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Gainesville, FL is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Lakeland, FL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Gainesville than in Lakeland. If you earn $80,000 in Gainesville, you'd need about $81,230 in Lakeland to keep the same standard of living.