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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. Miami proves it with a cost index of 134, the lowest in Florida, and we've ranked all 22 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Miami has a cost index of 134 but a median income of only $59,390 — below the $80,367 national median. Residents face a genuine affordability squeeze.
Rent ranges from $2,964/mo in Miami to $1,484/mo in Tallahassee — a monthly difference of $1,480, or $17,760 per year.
Let's be honest: Florida isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Miami proves it with a cost index of 134, the lowest in Florida, and we've ranked all 22 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
High cost, below-average pay in Miami. Miami has a cost index of 134 but a median income of only $59,390 — below the $80,367 national median. Residents face a genuine affordability squeeze.
Dive into Miami's numbers: cost index 134 (22 points above national average), rent $2,964/month, income $59,390, and a home price of $573,963. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 123, while Housing runs 184. With 455,924 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Miami (index 134, rent $2,964); Fort Lauderdale (index 126, rent $2,718); Miramar (index 125, rent $2,565). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
The state-level view adds helpful context here. Florida — no income tax, booming migration, and rising rents. The 22 cities we track here average a cost index of 113 and median income of $69,398. It lands right near the national baseline, which makes the differences between individual cities all the more important. The typical rent runs $2,171/month, which is $276 more than the national median.
Bottom line: Miami leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. 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.
#1 Ranked: Miami — cost index 134, rent $2,964/mo, income $59,390
High cost, below-average pay in Miami
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 | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 134 | $2,964 | Details |
| 2 | Fort Lauderdale | 126 | $2,718 | Details |
| 3 | Miramar | 125 | $2,565 | Details |
| 4 | Miami Gardens | 125 | $2,756 | Details |
| 5 | Pembroke Pines | 124 | $2,582 | Details |
| 6 | Coral Springs | 122 | $2,373 | Details |
| 7 | Davie | 121 | $2,330 | Details |
| 8 | Hialeah | 119 | $2,437 | Details |
| 9 | Hollywood | 116 | $2,237 | Details |
| 10 | Port St Lucie | 115 | $2,350 | Details |
| 11 | West Palm Beach | 114 | $2,256 | Details |
| 12 | Pompano Beach | 113 | $2,302 | Details |
| 13 | St Petersburg | 109 | $2,048 | Details |
| 14 | Tampa | 108 | $1,968 | Details |
| 15 | Orlando | 107 | $1,857 | Details |
| 16 | Cape Coral | 106 | $1,898 | Details |
| 17 | Clearwater | 106 | $1,904 | Details |
| 18 | Palm Bay | 104 | $1,866 | Details |
| 19 | Lakeland | 101 | $1,678 | Details |
| 20 | Gainesville | 99 | $1,604 | Details |
| 21 | Jacksonville | 98 | $1,576 | Details |
| 22 | Tallahassee | 97 | $1,484 | Details |
455,924 residents · Florida
Look, a closer look at Miami: the cost index of 134 breaks down to a Utilities index of 123 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 184 (weakest). Median rent is $2,964/month — 56% above the national median — while household income sits at $59,390, meaning locals spend about 60% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
184,255 residents · Florida
What does daily life actually cost in Fort Lauderdale? Start with the 41% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Utilities (index 116) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 166) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $79,935 — we had to double-check this one — and homes at $503,437 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
138,319 residents · Florida
A closer look at Miramar: the cost index of 125 breaks down to a Utilities index of 115 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 161 (weakest). And as far as the data shows, median rent is $2,565/month — 35% above the national median — while household income sits at $86,109, meaning locals spend about 36% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
110,717 residents · Florida
Miami Gardens earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 125 cost index sits 13 points above the national baseline, and the $60,979 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $464,022 — $3,348 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 115, while Housing trails at 163.
171,119 residents · Florida
Pembroke Pines earns its position at #5 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 124 cost index sits 12 points above the national baseline, and the $81,675 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $485,730 — $18,360 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 114, while Housing trails at 159.
Cities are ranked by overall cost of living index in descending order. High-cost cities are typically driven by housing prices — a city with an index of 150 has overall costs roughly 50% above the national median, with housing often 2-3× that premium. 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.
Miami ranks #1 in Florida for this analysis with a cost index of 134 and median income of $59,390.
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.
Miami (ranked #1) has a cost index of 134 and rent of $2,964/mo, while Tallahassee (ranked #22) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,484/mo — a 37-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 Miami is $2,964/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $1,069 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Miami is $573,963, which is 9.7× 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.