Cheapest places to live in Florida

Lakeland has the lowest median listed home of the 8 Florida cities we cover, at $329,000 (September 2026).

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated October 2026.

LakelandCheapest city$329,000 median listed home
$1,808/moMonthly paymentAgainst $4,078 for the median New York metro home
3% pricierFlorida pricesThan the US average, statewide

The 3 cheapest in Florida

Ranked by median listed home. Tap a city for weather, flights and monthly costs.

1
Lakeland$329,000 median home
Mortgage
$1,808/mo
2-bed rent
$1,437
Prices
3% cheaper
See Lakeland
2
Melbourne$369,775 median home
Mortgage
$2,032/mo
2-bed rent
$1,755
Prices
About the US average
See Melbourne
3
Daytona Beach$374,950 median home
Mortgage
$2,061/mo
2-bed rent
$1,638
Prices
1% cheaper
See Daytona Beach

Ranks 4 to 8

Monthly payment vs New York

Principal and interest on the median listed home.

Lakeland$1,808/mo

Sarasota, priciest we cover$2,514/mo

New York metro$4,078/mo

Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA.

Ranked by home price

All 8 cities in one table.

See all 8 Florida cities, cheapest first

Rank	City	Median listed home	Monthly payment	2-bed rent	Price level	Incentive
1	Lakeland	$329,000	$1,808	$1,437	97.1	None
2	Melbourne	$369,775	$2,032	$1,755	100.0	None
3	Daytona Beach	$374,950	$2,061	$1,638	99.4	None
4	Jacksonville	$379,000	$2,083	$1,642	99.5	None
5	Fort Myers	$379,900	$2,088	$1,849	102.3	None
6	Tampa	$385,398	$2,118	$1,861	100.9	None
7	Orlando	$410,000	$2,253	$1,855	101.4	None
8	Sarasota	$457,450	$2,514	$1,975	102.4	None

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest city to live in Florida?

Of the cities we cover, Lakeland. Its median listed home is $329,000 (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026).

Is Florida cheap to live in?

Florida's overall price level is 103.4, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). That is above average.

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Notes on the numbers

1Median listing: Realtor.com via FRED. Price level: BEA regional price parities, 2024 (US = 100). 2-bed rent: Census ACS, 2025. Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA.
2Median listing: Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. Prices vs US average: BEA regional price parities, 2024. 2-bed rent: Census ACS, 2025.

Sources for this page