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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while Florida trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Jacksonville at index 98 — whether that matters depends on your situation — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving…
Premium market, smart picks: while Florida trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Jacksonville at index 98 — whether that matters depends on your situation — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Florida (that's pre-tax, of course).
Jacksonville is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,576/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 98. Income sits at $66,981. You get the picture.
Bottom line: Jacksonville leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And depending on your situation, click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers. Can we talk about how broken the conversation around affordability is? A city gets labeled 'cheap' and suddenly everyone assumes there's a catch — bad schools, no jobs, nothing to do. But look at the income numbers here. Look at the cost categories. This isn't a budget consolation prize. It's a genuine alternative to the coastal rat race, and the data makes that case more convincingly than any think piece.
#1 Ranked: Jacksonville — cost index 98, rent $1,576/mo, income $66,981
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
| Rank | City | Combined Rate | Income Tax | Sales Tax | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 98 | Details |
| 2 | Miami | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 134 | Details |
| 3 | Tampa | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 108 | Details |
| 4 | Orlando | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 107 | Details |
| 5 | St Petersburg | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 109 | Details |
| 6 | Port St Lucie | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 115 | Details |
| 7 | Cape Coral | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 106 | Details |
| 8 | Hialeah | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 119 | Details |
| 9 | Tallahassee | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 97 | Details |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 126 | Details |
| 11 | Pembroke Pines | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 124 | Details |
| 12 | Hollywood | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 116 | Details |
| 13 | Gainesville | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 99 | Details |
| 14 | Miramar | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 125 | Details |
| 15 | Palm Bay | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 104 | Details |
| 16 | Coral Springs | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 122 | Details |
| 17 | West Palm Beach | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 114 | Details |
| 18 | Lakeland | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 101 | Details |
| 19 | Clearwater | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 106 | Details |
| 20 | Pompano Beach | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 113 | Details |
| 21 | Miami Gardens | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 125 | Details |
| 22 | Davie | 7.8% | 0% | 7.05% | 121 | Details |
985,843 residents · Florida
The #1 spot goes to Jacksonville, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,576/month — for better or worse — — saving renters $3,828 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 90, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 101. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
455,924 residents · Florida
The #2 spot goes to Miami, and the breakdown explains why. And on balance, renters here pay $2,964/month — costing renters $12,828 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 123, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 184. The 60% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
403,364 residents · Florida
A closer look at Tampa: the cost index of 108 breaks down to a Utilities index of 100 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 121 (weakest). Median rent is $1,968/month — 4% above the national median — while household income sits at $71,302, meaning locals spend about 33% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
320,742 residents · Florida
Why Orlando ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 107 on the cost index, residents save roughly 5% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,857/month while the median household pulls in $69,268/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 98, though Housing (117) lags behind. Home prices average $370,828 — $96,542 below the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
263,553 residents · Florida
The #5 spot goes to St Petersburg, and the breakdown explains why. It's fine. Not great, not bad. Renters here pay $2,048/month — costing renters $1,836 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 121. The 34% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Jacksonville | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
2Miami | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
3Tampa | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
4Orlando | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
5St Petersburg | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
6Port St Lucie | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
7Cape Coral | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
8Hialeah | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
9Tallahassee | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
10Fort Lauderdale | 0% | 7.05% | 0.8% | $52,068 |
Jacksonville ranks #1 in Florida for this analysis with a cost index of 98 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 98 and rent of $1,576/mo, while Davie (ranked #22) has a cost index of 121 and rent of $2,330/mo — a 23-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.