USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

California vs Florida: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in California or Florida?

  • Overall, Florida is 6.6% less expensive than California (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in California works out to about $70,100 in Florida, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 20.9% less in Florida. Goods are 7.6% lower and other services 1.2% lower.
  • Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 43.3% lower in Florida.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $57,131 in Florida and $63,028 in California (9.4% lower in Florida; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 85.4 in The Villages, FL to 114.2 in Miami, FL (Florida) and from 95.2 in El Centro, CA to 115.6 in San Francisco, CA (California), US = 100.
  • The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Florida was 10.3% less expensive than California.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 20.9% lower in Florida than in California

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • California
  • Florida
All items
110.7 103.4
Goods
106.1 98.1
Housing (rents)
154.3 122.1
Utilities
158.9 90.1
Other services
102.6 101.3

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
CaliforniaFlorida
All items110.7103.4
Goods106.198.1
Housing (rents)154.3122.1
Utilities158.990.1
Other services102.6101.3
CategoryCaliforniaFloridaFlorida vs California
All items110.7103.4−6.6%
Goods106.198.1−7.6%
Housing (rents)154.3122.1−20.9%
Utilities158.990.1−43.3%
Other services102.6101.3−1.2%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $63,028 $57,131 −9.4%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026 $6.03 $3.98 −34.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in California $75,000 $70,100 −6.6%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices.

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

California

  1. El Centro, CA 95.2
  2. Merced, CA 98.3
  3. Visalia, CA 99.8
  4. Redding, CA 100.7
  5. Bakersfield, CA 100.9
  6. Chico, CA 101.2
  7. Hanford, CA 101.6
  8. Fresno, CA 102.2
  9. Modesto, CA 104.1
  10. Yuba City, CA 104.2
  11. Stockton, CA 105.1
  12. Riverside, CA 106.4
  13. Sacramento, CA 106.7
  14. Santa Rosa, CA 107.8
  15. Vallejo, CA 108.5
  16. San Luis Obispo, CA 108.6
  17. Santa Maria, CA 108.8
  18. Salinas, CA 109.0
  19. Santa Cruz, CA 109.9
  20. San Jose, CA 110.4
  21. Oxnard, CA 110.5
  22. San Diego, CA 111.9
  23. Napa, CA 112.6
  24. Los Angeles, CA 113.6
  25. San Francisco, CA 115.6

Florida

  1. The Villages, FL 85.4
  2. Sebring, FL 92.5
  3. Homosassa Springs, FL 93.5
  4. Tallahassee, FL 93.9
  5. Ocala, FL 95.2
  6. Gainesville, FL 96.7
  7. Crestview, FL 97.0
  8. Lakeland, FL 97.1
  9. Panama City, FL 97.3
  10. Pensacola, FL 97.7
  11. Sebastian, FL 98.3
  12. Deltona, FL 99.4
  13. Jacksonville, FL 99.5
  14. Palm Bay, FL 100.0
  15. Port St. Lucie, FL 100.2
  16. Punta Gorda, FL 100.5
  17. Tampa, FL 100.9
  18. Orlando, FL 101.4
  19. Cape Coral, FL 102.3
  20. North Port, FL 102.4
  21. Naples, FL 103.2
  22. Miami, FL 114.2

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between California and Florida has narrowed since 2008: 9.6 points then, 7.3 now

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • California
  • Florida
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
CaliforniaFlorida
2008111.2101.7
2009110.7100.5
2010109.7100.4
2011109.5100.8
2012109.7101.1
2013109.7100.7
2014109.9100.9
2015110.7101.3
2016110.0101.1
2017111.0100.9
2018111.9100.3
2019111.199.6
2020111.9100.6
2021111.9101.4
2022112.6102.3
2023112.2103.6
2024110.7103.4

Goods

  • California
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
CaliforniaFlorida
2008107.498.9
2009104.797.0
2010103.097.3
2011103.697.4
2012104.198.0
2013104.398.6
2014104.398.3
2015105.597.4
2016104.497.5
2017104.598.4
2018105.597.7
2019106.296.1
2020106.797.4
2021108.198.4
2022108.498.0
2023106.898.2
2024106.198.1

Housing (rents)

  • California
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
CaliforniaFlorida
2008161.4115.1
2009160.4111.0
2010158.0108.7
2011157.1108.2
2012156.2108.8
2013155.7107.4
2014157.9108.2
2015158.0109.3
2016160.1109.4
2017162.5110.5
2018163.8110.7
2019164.6112.0
2020166.3113.6
2021165.0112.9
2022160.1116.3
2023157.8123.2
2024154.3122.1

Utilities

  • California
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
CaliforniaFlorida
2008111.498.6
2009112.8101.2
2010117.296.2
2011115.395.3
2012117.193.5
2013121.493.6
2014128.395.3
2015129.392.4
2016129.589.9
2017130.787.5
2018125.191.1
2019131.094.4
2020133.589.8
2021144.290.0
2022152.394.8
2023147.393.7
2024158.990.1

Other services

  • California
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
CaliforniaFlorida
2008101.999.0
2009102.099.0
2010101.799.8
2011101.6101.0
2012101.9100.9
2013101.8100.3
2014101.9100.5
2015102.8101.8
2016101.9101.3
2017103.3100.1
2018104.399.2
2019102.498.3
2020101.998.8
2021102.1100.4
2022103.9101.2
2023104.4101.5
2024102.6101.3

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $57,131 in Florida, $63,028 in California

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • California
  • Florida
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
CaliforniaFloridaUnited States
2008$43,788$43,259$45,816
2009$42,377$41,209$44,204
2010$43,503$42,735$44,808
2011$44,844$43,268$45,957
2012$46,162$43,189$46,796
2013$45,826$42,278$46,358
2014$47,472$43,812$47,661
2015$50,054$45,693$49,396
2016$51,802$46,126$49,828
2017$52,569$48,141$51,006
2018$53,523$49,935$52,242
2019$55,931$52,128$53,683
2020$59,993$53,897$56,514
2021$63,373$56,789$59,365
2022$59,126$55,163$57,104
2023$60,100$56,138$58,088
2024$63,028$57,131$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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