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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: Florida isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Coral Springs proves it with a cost index of 122 — and that's before you even look at taxes — , the lowest in Florida, and we've ranked all 22 contenders to help y…
#1 Ranked: Coral Springs — cost index 122, rent $2,373/mo, income $90,643
10 of 22 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Let's be honest: Florida isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Coral Springs proves it with a cost index of 122 — and that's before you even look at taxes — , the lowest in Florida, and we've ranked all 22 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape. Not even close to the national average.
The #1 spot goes to Coral Springs, and the breakdown explains why. And on balance, renters here pay $2,373/month — costing renters $5,736 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 112, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 154. The 31% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
Value = income ÷ cost index. The national benchmark ratio is 718. Coral Springs delivers 743 — 3% more purchasing power per dollar earned. This metric catches cities that expensive-but-high-paying rankings miss: a $90K salary in a city with index 80 — for better or worse — buys more than $120K in a city with index 150.
Look, Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. The 22 cities we track in Florida paint a surprisingly balanced picture. Average cost index: 113. Median rent: $2,171/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Household income: $69,398. Florida is known for no income tax, booming migration, and rising rents — and the data backs that reputation with some caveats (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| Rank | City | Value Ratio | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coral Springs | 743 | 122 | $2,373 | Details |
| 2 | Davie | 720 | 121 | $2,330 | Details |
| 3 | Cape Coral | 718 | 106 | $1,898 | Details |
| 4 | Miramar | 689 | 125 | $2,565 | Details |
| 5 | Jacksonville | 683 | 98 | $1,576 | Details |
| 6 | Port St Lucie | 679 | 115 | $2,350 | Details |
| 7 | St Petersburg | 671 | 109 | $2,048 | Details |
| 8 | Tampa | 660 | 108 | $1,968 | Details |
| 9 | Pembroke Pines | 659 | 124 | $2,582 | Details |
| 10 | Palm Bay | 649 | 104 | $1,866 | Details |
| 11 | Orlando | 647 | 107 | $1,857 | Details |
| 12 | Fort Lauderdale | 634 | 126 | $2,718 | Details |
| 13 | Clearwater | 608 | 106 | $1,904 | Details |
| 14 | West Palm Beach | 608 | 114 | $2,256 | Details |
| 15 | Lakeland | 603 | 101 | $1,678 | Details |
| 16 | Tallahassee | 577 | 97 | $1,484 | Details |
| 17 | Pompano Beach | 565 | 113 | $2,302 | Details |
| 18 | Hollywood | 563 | 116 | $2,237 | Details |
| 19 | Miami Gardens | 488 | 125 | $2,756 | Details |
| 20 | Gainesville | 461 | 99 | $1,604 | Details |
| 21 | Hialeah | 446 | 119 | $2,437 | Details |
| 22 | Miami | 443 | 134 | $2,964 | Details |
134,906 residents · Florida
Coral Springs earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 122 cost index sits 10 points above the national baseline, and the $90,643 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $517,563 — $50,193 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 112, while Housing trails at 154.
107,799 residents · Florida
So, Davie. Cost index of 121, rent at $2,330/month. It's higher than the national average. Median income is $87,171, which is above average. That's a reasonable number.
224,455 residents · Florida
A closer look at Cape Coral: the cost index of 106 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Utilities index of 97 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 114 (weakest). Median rent is $1,898/month — 0% above the national median — while household income sits at $76,062, meaning locals spend about 30% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
138,319 residents · Florida
Dive into Miramar's numbers: cost index 125 (13 points above national average), rent $2,565/month, income $86,109, and a home price of $514,738. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 115, while Housing runs 161. With 138,319 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
985,843 residents · Florida
Jacksonville earns its position at #5 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 98 cost index sits 14 points below the national baseline, and the $66,981 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $282,367 — $185,003 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 90, while Healthcare trails at 101.
Coral Springs ranks #1 in Florida for this analysis with a cost index of 122 and median income of $90,643.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Coral Springs (ranked #1) has a cost index of 122 and rent of $2,373/mo, while Miami (ranked #22) has a cost index of 134 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 12-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Coral Springs is $2,373/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $478 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Coral Springs is $517,563, which is 5.7× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Florida has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.05%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.8%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.