Planning to move to Florida for the sand, surf, warm weather, and lack of sales tax? Or are you just curious how the cost of living in the Sunshine State compares to the rest of the country?
Obviously, your personal cost of living will change based on a lot of variables, including changing costs, where in the state you choose to live (the closer to metro areas, the more expensive it gets), and how lavish or economical a lifestyle you have in mind.
Here’s what to know as of July 2026.
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What’s the average cost of living in Florida?
It’s not cheap. Florida’s cost-of-living rate has nearly quintupled since 2020, according to a new Florida TaxWatch analysis. The Sunshine State now stands as the fourth most expensive state in the South. The increases are mostly due to housing costs and insurance premiums, but rising grocery and child care costs contributed.
It costs an average of $62,618 per year to live in Florida, according to the most recent Missouri Economic Research & Information Center (MERIC) data from 2024. It ranked overall as the 18th most expensive state to live in the U.S., slightly above the national average.
MERIC broke it down to:
Then there’s the living wage, the amount needed to cover the essentials. In February 2026, MIT’s Living Wage Calculator estimated that a single adult with no children in Florida would need to make $24.09 an hour to pay for necessities, or about $50,107 per year.
Having a child increases the living wage needed to a staggering $82,929 ($39.87 an hour). For two children, a single adult would need $49.88 an hour, and for three they’d need to be making $61.68.
Florida’s minimum wage is currently $14 per hour for non-tipped employees and $10.98 for tipped employees. It will go up another dollar on Sept. 30.
How much do Floridians pay in taxes?
Florida has no state income tax. That makes the state very attractive. The Sunshine State has recently seen an influx of wealthy people fleeing places levying taxes on second homes, such as California and New York City.
There is a general state sales tax of 6%, which will be higher in different counties based on local surtaxes. The state limits sales tax on retail sales of new mobile homes to 3%, but allows a 6.95% tax on electricity.
Florida also exempts a variety of hurricane and safety preparations from sales taxes, covering everything from batteries to bicycle helmets. The state regularly holds sales tax holidays for school supplies, clothing, and supplies for hunting, fishing, and camping.
How much is housing in Florida?
Depends on where you look.
The value of the average Florida home in July was $378,126, according to Zillow, down 2.8% year over year. That’s 1.4% higher than the national average of $372,995, which went up slightly this year.
However, Realtor.com recently named a 2026 median listing price in Florida of $425,000, down 2.33% from last year. In June, Florida Realtors reported that the median sale price was up to $432,000, a new record high. Townhouses and condominiums sold at a median price of $305,000, Florida Realtors said.
The most expensive markets tend to be around the southern coast, such as Naples, Marco Island, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Miami. The further inland you go, the less expensive (unless you go to Orlando).
Realtor.com also listed a 2026 median rent price of $2,500 per month, roughly the same as the year before. Florida ranks as the sixth most expensive state to rent.
According to U.S. Census data, the median averages for the years 2020-2024 were:
How much are utilities in Florida?
Average monthly utility costs in Florida run about $250.19, according to utility-rates.com. It breaks down to:
However, an electric bill comparison by the Florida Municipal Electric Association for January 2026 showed an average monthly cost of $168.52. Again, prices may vary quite a bit depending on where you live and how much you use air conditioning.
Electricity rates also fluctuate around bad hurricane years, as utility companies add a surcharge to their rates to cover what they paid in emergency services during and after destructive storms.
How much is insurance in Florida?
Since 2020, Floridians have paid more for insurance than any other state due to homes damaged or destroyed by frequent hurricanes, powerful storm surge, and flooding, as well as a high rate of lawsuits and a recent exodus of insurance companies from the state. Florida lawmakers passed legislation to restrict the number of “frivolous” claims, which helped bring some companies back.
According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, the state’s major insurers reduced rates by an average of 6.5% in 2025. The state’s Citizens Property Insurance dropped rates by an average of 10% or more in spring 2026, with greater reductions for South Florida customers.
Premiums have remained high, largely due to reinsurance rates (what your insurance company pays another insurance company to protect its losses) and the skyrocketing costs of repairing or replacing your home. Home insurance in Florida also does not include flood insurance.
Auto insurance rates also run among the highest in the country due to flooding and other severe weather, and the state’s no-fault insurance laws. But they’ve been dropping recently, with the state’s top five auto insurance groups — Progressive, Berkshire Hathaway (GEICO), State Farm, Allstate and USAA — lowering their premiums an average of 8% for 2026 as of February.
How much is gas in Florida?
Gasoline prices have been fluctuating wildly (mostly upward) since the beginning of the U.S.-Iran war, but they’ve stayed below the national average.
According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Florida was $3.90 as of July 30, compared to the national average of $4.098. That’s about 88 cents a gallon more than it was last year at this time.
How much is food in Florida?
The average weekly grocery bill in Florida was $287.27, according to the most recent U.S. Census data, slightly above the national average of $270.21.
However, those numbers are a few years old. Rising inflation and spiking gas prices have pushed grocery prices higher, particularly meat. But the state is still more or less in line with the rest of the country.
How much is child care in Florida?
Florida TaxWatch found that the average daily rate for child care services has risen about 26% over the past five years.
The hourly rate in 2025 was $42.55, up from $33.68 in 2021, according to Florida Division of Child Care data.
How much is health care in Florida?
In 2020, Floridians spent an average of $9,865 a year on health care, according to health policy site KFF.
Florida hospital prices are the highest in the country, tied with Georgia, according to a May 2024 study from the RAND Corporation. The study also showed that Florida is the highest-cost state for privately insured patients, who may be charged up to three or four times what Medicare pays for the same care.
The 4.5 million Floridians insured through the Affordable Care Act also saw premiums and deductibles surge this year after Congress struck a deal to end a 2025 government shutdown that included stopping subsidies for the ACA.
The bottom line: Florida isn’t the bargain destination it once was.
While the state still offers tax advantages and a cost of living that is roughly in line with the national average, housing, insurance and other essentials can carry a hefty price tag. Anyone considering a move should look beyond the beaches and sunshine and carefully budget for the realities of living in the state.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida cost of living in 2026: What it costs to live in the state
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
