State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Cost of Living in Florida
Statewide Regional Price Parities for Florida from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 22 metro areas.
- 103.4
- Statewide RPP
- #11
- of 51 states by cost
- 122.1
- Rents RPP
- 22
- Metro areas
Florida ranks #11 of 51 states by cost, and its statewide price index has held steady since 2008.
- stable since 2008
- fell -0.2 points in the 2023-2024 release
- similar cost to Oregon
The verdict
Florida is more expensive than 78% of U.S. states, a statewide cost index of 103.4, 3.4% above the national average.
- Rents
- furthest category from 100, at 122.1
- Oregon
- closest statewide cost peer, 0.1 points away
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
- highest-cost metro, 114.2
- Wildwood-The Villages
- lowest-cost metro, 85.4
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $96,699 when earned in Florida.
Reading the Florida Cost of Living Picture
Florida clusters near the national line with Oregon, Connecticut, Colorado as its closest statewide peers. In that near-par lane, the component mix matters more than the small headline distance from 100. Rents and Services are 32.0 points apart, so the statewide average joins two materially different household experiences.
Florida captures 22 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL leads on cost at 114.2, while Wildwood-The Villages, FL sits at the opposite end at 85.4 - a gap of 28.7 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 98.1, for services 90.1, and for rents 122.1. Rents run 18.7 points above the statewide index here, so housing is carrying this state's cost position; the goods and services lines would place it noticeably cheaper on their own.
Over time, Florida's statewide index has held steady within 1.7 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $96,699 of national buying power when earned inside Florida, and a household relocating here would need roughly $103,414 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. With 22 reporting metros inside the state, treat this figure as the midpoint of a range rather than a quote for any one address.
Florida vs every U.S. state
Where this state sits in the national cost distribution
103 Top 22% higher than 78% of 51 US states
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Florida's overall RPP fell -0.2 points, from 103.6 in 2023 to 103.4 in 2024. The largest category move was services, changing from 93.7 to 90.1. RPP is a relative price index, so this reports a change against the national benchmark rather than a household's dollar bill.
Metro areas in Florida, ranked by cost
| # | Metro area | Overall | Goods | Services | Rents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | 114.2 | 103.6 | 97.2 | 155.6 |
| 2 | Naples-Marco Island | 103.2 | 96.2 | 87.8 | 129.4 |
| 3 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | 102.4 | 96.2 | 88.2 | 128.0 |
| 4 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 102.3 | 96.2 | 86.9 | 125.1 |
| 5 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | 101.4 | 96.2 | 87.2 | 123.4 |
| 6 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 100.9 | 95.5 | 88.5 | 125.8 |
| 7 | Punta Gorda | 100.5 | 96.2 | 87.3 | 113.3 |
| 8 | Port St. Lucie | 100.2 | 96.2 | 87.0 | 113.6 |
| 9 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 100.0 | 96.2 | 88.1 | 111.7 |
| 10 | Jacksonville | 99.5 | 96.2 | 87.5 | 109.8 |
| 11 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | 99.4 | 96.2 | 87.6 | 108.4 |
| 12 | Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | 98.3 | 96.2 | 87.3 | 101.6 |
| 13 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | 97.7 | 96.2 | 88.5 | 98.8 |
| 14 | Panama City-Panama City Beach | 97.3 | 96.2 | 88.1 | 96.4 |
| 15 | Lakeland-Winter Haven | 97.1 | 96.2 | 86.9 | 95.9 |
| 16 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | 97.0 | 96.2 | 89.0 | 94.9 |
| 17 | Gainesville | 96.7 | 96.2 | 88.2 | 93.0 |
| 18 | Ocala | 95.2 | 96.2 | 87.1 | 86.2 |
| 19 | Tallahassee | 93.9 | 96.2 | 87.5 | 78.5 |
| 20 | Homosassa Springs | 93.5 | 96.2 | 87.3 | 78.4 |
| 21 | Sebring | 92.5 | 96.2 | 86.8 | 73.5 |
| 22 | Wildwood-The Villages | 85.4 | 96.2 | 89.0 | 51.7 |
The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.
Florida RPP history, 2008–2024
The statewide index has changed by only 1.7 points from 2008 to 2024. The line shows every retained BEA release against the national benchmark of 100; the table preserves the component detail.
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 101.7 |
| 2009 | 100.5 |
| 2010 | 100.4 |
| 2011 | 100.8 |
| 2012 | 101.1 |
| 2013 | 100.7 |
| 2014 | 100.9 |
| 2015 | 101.3 |
| 2016 | 101.1 |
| 2017 | 100.9 |
| 2018 | 100.3 |
| 2019 | 99.6 |
| 2020 | 100.6 |
| 2021 | 101.4 |
| 2022 | 102.3 |
| 2023 | 103.6 |
| 2024 | 103.4 |
What this means in Florida
The statewide index is a starting point, cost varies metro to metro within Florida.
- Don't rely on the state figure alone: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (114.2) and Wildwood-The Villages (85.4) sit 29 index points apart inside Florida. Check your specific metro.
- Rents index at 122.1 (22.1% above average) - the largest swing in the RPP. Review the housing line before any relocation decision. Highest rents
- Weighing Florida against another state? Convert your salary to local purchasing power first. Salary calculator
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark (national average = 100) for the data year shown, pair it with local wages and current rents before deciding.
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Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive rankings, cost of living vs wages, and how BEA constructs RPP data.
States with Similar Cost of Living
These states have RPP indices closest to Florida, making them useful peers for relocation or budget comparison.
Nationwide states with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Florida: nearest states by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are labelled nationwide neighborhoods, distinct from the closest-RPP list above.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest states by overall regional price parity (103.4 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest states by rents regional price parity (122.1 here).
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Florida sit versus the national cost-of-living line?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 103.4, meaning it is 3.4% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 98.1, services at 90.1, and rents at 122.1.
What salary in Florida equals $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $103,414 in Florida. Conversely, $100K earned in Florida has the purchasing power of $96,699 at the national average.
Is housing what makes Florida expensive?
Rents in Florida are indexed at 122.1, which is 22.1% above the national average. Housing costs are significantly higher than typical U.S. levels.
Which metros stretch Florida's cost range the widest?
The most expensive metro area in Florida is Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL with an RPP of 114.2. The most affordable is Wildwood-The Villages, FL at 85.4. There are 22 metro areas in Florida with BEA price data.
Is Florida getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Florida's overall cost index changed by +1.7 points (from 101.7 to 103.4). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
Which categories pull Florida away from the national average?
The most expensive category in Florida is rents at 122.1, which is 22.1% above the national average. The most affordable category is services at 90.1, 9.9% below average.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.