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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
81-point cost gap between #1 and #22. Jacksonville (index 92) and Miami (index 173) sit 81 points apart on the cost index — proof that Florida is far from monolithic in affordability. Standard stuff, really (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville | 92 | $1,576 | Details |
| 2 | Cape Coral | 111 | $1,898 | Details |
| 3 | Palm Bay | 109 | $1,866 | Details |
| 4 | St Petersburg | 120 | $2,048 | Details |
| 5 | Port St Lucie | 137 | $2,350 | Details |
| 6 | Lakeland | 98 | $1,678 | Details |
| 7 | Tallahassee | 87 | $1,484 | Details |
| 8 | Tampa | 115 | $1,968 | Details |
| 9 | Clearwater | 111 | $1,904 | Details |
| 10 | Orlando | 108 | $1,857 | Details |
| 11 | Pompano Beach | 134 | $2,302 | Details |
| 12 | Coral Springs | 138 | $2,373 | Details |
| 13 | West Palm Beach | 132 | $2,256 | Details |
| 14 | Davie | 136 | $2,330 | Details |
| 15 | Pembroke Pines | 151 | $2,582 | Details |
| 16 | Miramar | 150 | $2,565 | Details |
| 17 | Fort Lauderdale | 159 | $2,718 | Details |
| 18 | Gainesville | 94 | $1,604 | Details |
| 19 | Hollywood | 131 | $2,237 | Details |
| 20 | Miami Gardens | 161 | $2,756 | Details |
| 21 | Hialeah | 142 | $2,437 | Details |
| 22 | Miami | 173 | $2,964 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Jacksonville — cost index 92, rent $1,576/mo, income $66,981
81-point cost gap between #1 and #22
6 of 22 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
81-point cost gap between #1 and #22. Jacksonville (index 92) and Miami (index 173) sit 81 points apart on the cost index — proof that Florida is far from monolithic in affordability. Standard stuff, really (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
The gap is staggering: 81 points separate #1 Jacksonville (index 92) from #22 Miami (index 173) within Florida. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 47% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 22 cities, ranked with 2026 data.
Jacksonville is one of the cheaper options here. And with some exceptions, rent is $1,576/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 92. Income sits at $66,981. It lines up with what you'd expect (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Factor in the cost side, though, and the picture shifts. And most of the time, florida — no income tax, booming migration, and rising rents. The 22 cities we track here average a cost index of 127 and median income of $69,398. Costs run above the national baseline — but pockets of real value exist if you know where to look. The typical rent runs $2,171/month, which is $276 more than the national median.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Jacksonville | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
2Cape Coral | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
3Palm Bay | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
4St Petersburg | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
5Port St Lucie | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
6Lakeland | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
7Tallahassee | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
8Tampa | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
9Clearwater | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
10Orlando | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
Jacksonville (index 92) and Miami (index 173) sit 81 points apart on the cost index — proof that Florida is far from monolithic in affordability.
#1-ranked Jacksonville has a cost index 22 points lower than the top-5 average of 114. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own.
Rent ranges from $1,576/mo in Jacksonville to $2,964/mo in Miami — a monthly difference of $1,388, or $16,656 per year.
985,843 residents · Florida
Jacksonville is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,576/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 92. Income sits at $66,981. That alone makes it worth considering.
224,455 residents · Florida
Cape Coral earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 111 cost index sits 0 points above the national baseline, and the $76,062 — for better or worse — median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $335,921 — $131,449 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 102, while Housing trails at 111.
135,566 residents · Florida
Why Palm Bay ranks #3: the numbers tell a clear story. At 109 on the cost index, residents save roughly 2% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,866/month while the median household pulls in $67,521/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 102, though Housing (109) lags behind. Home prices average $299,958 — $167,412 below the national median.
263,553 residents · Florida
Why St Petersburg ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 120 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 9% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,048/month while the median household pulls in $73,118/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 104, though Housing (120) lags behind. Home prices average $345,243 — $122,127 below the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
245,021 residents · Florida
Straight up: Port St Lucie is one of the cheaper options here. That's a reasonable number. Rent is $2,350/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 137. Income sits at $78,137. That alone makes it worth considering.
We divide median home price by median household income for each city in Florida. A ratio of 3× means a home costs 3 years of gross income — generally considered affordable. Ratios above 5× signal a stretched market. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Jacksonville ranks #1 in Florida for this analysis with a cost index of 92 and median income of $66,981.
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.
Jacksonville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 92 and rent of $1,576/mo, while Miami (ranked #22) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 81-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 Jacksonville is $1,576/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $319 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Jacksonville is $282,367, which is 4.2× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.