Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The gap is staggering: 86 points separate #1 Tallahassee (index 87) from #22 Miami (index 173) within Florida. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 50% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 22 cities, ranked with 2026 data.
The gap is staggering: 86 points separate #1 Tallahassee (index 87) from #22 Miami (index 173) within Florida. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 50% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 22 cities, ranked with 2026 data.
So, Tallahassee. Cost index of 87, rent at $1,484/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $55,931, which is below the national median. Nothing too surprising there.
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.
#1 Ranked: Tallahassee — cost index 87, rent $1,484/mo, income $55,931
22 of 22 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
202,221 residents · Florida
The #1 spot goes to Tallahassee, and the breakdown explains why. And in practical terms, renters here pay $1,484/month — saving renters $4,932 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 87, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 97. The 32% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
985,843 residents · Florida
Dive into Jacksonville's numbers: cost index 92 (19 points below national average), rent $1,576/month, income $66,981, and a home price of $282,367. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 92, while Healthcare runs 98. As a major city with 985,843 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
145,812 residents · Florida
In plain English: at $1,604/month for rent and a cost index of 94, Gainesville is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $45,611. It's fine. Not great, not bad. A real contender.
122,264 residents · Florida
The #4 spot goes to Lakeland, and the breakdown explains why. That alone makes it worth considering. Renters here pay $1,678/month — saving renters $2,604 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 98, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. The 33% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
320,742 residents · Florida
The numbers for Orlando are straightforward: 108 on the cost index, $1,857/month rent, $69,268 income. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tallahassee | $1,484 | 12% | 87 | Details |
| 2 | Jacksonville | $1,576 | 13% | 92 | Details |
| 3 | Gainesville | $1,604 | 13% | 94 | Details |
| 4 | Lakeland | $1,678 | 13% | 98 | Details |
| 5 | Orlando | $1,857 | 15% | 108 | Details |
| 6 | Palm Bay | $1,866 | 15% | 109 | Details |
| 7 | Cape Coral | $1,898 | 15% | 111 | Details |
| 8 | Clearwater | $1,904 | 15% | 111 | Details |
| 9 | Tampa | $1,968 | 16% | 115 | Details |
| 10 | St Petersburg | $2,048 | 16% | 120 | Details |
| 11 | Hollywood | $2,237 | 18% | 131 | Details |
| 12 | West Palm Beach | $2,256 | 18% | 132 | Details |
| 13 | Pompano Beach | $2,302 | 18% | 134 | Details |
| 14 | Davie | $2,330 | 19% | 136 | Details |
| 15 | Port St Lucie | $2,350 | 19% | 137 | Details |
| 16 | Coral Springs | $2,373 | 19% | 138 | Details |
| 17 | Hialeah | $2,437 | 19% | 142 | Details |
| 18 | Miramar | $2,565 | 21% | 150 | Details |
| 19 | Pembroke Pines | $2,582 | 21% | 151 | Details |
| 20 | Fort Lauderdale | $2,718 | 22% | 159 | Details |
| 21 | Miami Gardens | $2,756 | 22% | 161 | Details |
| 22 | Miami | $2,964 | 24% | 173 | Details |
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Tallahassee | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
2Jacksonville | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
3Gainesville | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
4Lakeland | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
5Orlando | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
6Palm Bay | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
7Cape Coral | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
8Clearwater | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
9Tampa | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
10St Petersburg | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $109,483 |
We model what a $150K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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.
Tallahassee ranks #1 in Florida for this analysis with a cost index of 87 and median income of $55,931.
Yes. On a $150K salary in Tallahassee, rent would consume about 12% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
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.
Tallahassee (ranked #1) has a cost index of 87 and rent of $1,484/mo, while Miami (ranked #22) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 86-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 Tallahassee is $1,484/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $411 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 0% state income tax, estimated take-home on $150K in Tallahassee is approximately $109,483/year ($9,124/month). After median rent of $1,484/month, you'd have roughly $91,675/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Tallahassee is $286,955, which is 5.1× 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.