Overall
Florida feels cheaper overall
Florida has the lower cost-of-living index, beating California by 38.0 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
California vs Florida: Cost of Living
Florida is cheaper overall by 38.0 cost-of-living points, but Florida has no state income tax, but Florida has lower median home values.
California
CA • West
138.5
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
California
138.5
Florida
100.5
Difference: 38.0 points — Florida leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 2.0x more for a home
Florida has the lower median home value, while buying in California costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Florida puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Florida than in California, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Florida has no state income tax
Florida gives residents a cleaner paycheck-level tax advantage, while California still taxes income at the state level.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
California
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
138.5
Regional price parity
113.4
Regular gas price
$5.929/gal
Electricity price
30.29 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,856/mo
Median home value
$693,700
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
13.30%
State sales tax
7.25%
Property tax
0.70%
Income
Median household income
$84,097
Income after median rent
$5,152
Minimum wage
$16.90/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
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
- Florida has lower median home values.
- Florida has no state income tax.
- Florida has the lower overall cost index.
- California has the higher median household income.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
California vs Florida: Cost of Living in context
Florida has a cost of living of 100.5, compared with 138.5 in California. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
California
138.5
Florida
100.5
Difference
38.0 points
People Also Ask
California vs Florida Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is California's cost of living?
California's cost of living is 138.5.
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 — California or Florida?
Florida is cheaper overall by 38.0 cost-of-living points, but Florida has no state income tax, but Florida has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: California vs Florida
Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.
Explore Each State
California Symbols
Florida Symbols
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.