Overall
Arkansas feels cheaper overall
Arkansas has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Florida by 12.9 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Arkansas vs Florida: Cost of Living
Arkansas is cheaper overall by 12.9 cost-of-living points, but Florida has no state income tax, but Arkansas has lower median home values.
Arkansas
AR • South
87.6
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Florida
FL • South
100.5
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Arkansas
87.6
Florida
100.5
Difference: 12.9 points — Arkansas leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 2.3x more for a home
Arkansas has the lower median home value, while buying in Florida costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Arkansas puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Arkansas than in Florida, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Florida has no state income tax
Florida gives residents a cleaner paycheck-level tax advantage, while Arkansas still taxes income at the state level.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Arkansas
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
87.6
Regional price parity
86.1
Regular gas price
$3.610/gal
Electricity price
12.35 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$881/mo
Median home value
$154,200
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.40%
State sales tax
6.50%
Property tax
0.55%
Income
Median household income
$52,123
Income after median rent
$3,463
Minimum wage
$11.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Medical
Florida
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
100.5
Regional price parity
100.7
Regular gas price
$4.198/gal
Electricity price
15.92 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,444/mo
Median home value
$348,000
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
None (0%)
State sales tax
6.00%
Property tax
0.76%
Income
Median household income
$67,917
Income after median rent
$4,216
Minimum wage
$14.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Medical
What Stands Out
- Arkansas has lower median home values.
- Florida has no state income tax.
- Arkansas has the lower overall cost index.
- Florida has the higher median household income.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Arkansas vs Florida: Cost of Living in context
Arkansas has a cost of living of 87.6, compared with 100.5 in Florida. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Arkansas
87.6
Florida
100.5
Difference
12.9 points
People Also Ask
Arkansas vs Florida Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Arkansas's cost of living?
Arkansas's cost of living is 87.6.
Q What is Florida's cost of living?
Florida's cost of living is 100.5.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Arkansas or Florida?
Arkansas is cheaper overall by 12.9 cost-of-living points, but Florida has no state income tax, but Arkansas has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Arkansas vs Florida
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.