Alachua, FL Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Alachua. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Alachua compared to the state and national averages.

Cost of living in Alachua, Florida

Cost of living in Alachua research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Alachua is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Florida, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

108 Cost of living index 1.1x higher vs US
#195 Cheapest in Florida (of 462)
#3,347 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$331,489 Median home value
$1,284 Median rent
$83,464 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Alachua, FL?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Alachua has an overall cost of living index of 108, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Florida, Alachua has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Florida's index of 104.

The standard of living in Alachua ranks as #195 most affordable out of the 462 places we measured in Florida. By definition, that implies Alachua ranks as the #267 most expensive place in the Sunshine State.

For more reading on life in Alachua, check out:

Alachua Cost Of Living Vs. Florida

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Alachua. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Alachua is 99.

  • The Groceries index in Alachua is 103.

  • The Health index in Alachua is 113.

  • The Housing index in Alachua is 101.

  • The Transportation index in Alachua is 114.

  • The Utilities index in Alachua is 111.

Living Expense Alachua Florida National Average
Overall 108 104 100
Services 99 101 100
Groceries 103 105 100
Health 113 99 100
Housing 101 104 100
Transportation 114 109 100
Utilities 111 105 100

Alachua Cost Of Living Compared To Florida Averages

Services
Alachua 99
Florida avg 101
Groceries
Alachua 103
Florida avg 105
Health
Alachua 113
Florida avg 99
Housing
Alachua 101
Florida avg 104
Transportation
Alachua 114
Florida avg 109
Utilities
Alachua 111
Florida avg 105

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around Florida, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Alachua, FL Housing Cost Breakdown

$331,489Median Home Value
$1,284Median Rent
$83,464Median Income

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Florida, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Alachua is $331,489.

  • The Median Rent in Alachua is $1,284.

  • The Median Income in Alachua is $83,464.

  • The Home Value To Income in Alachua is 4.0x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Alachua is 0.18x.

Statistic Alachua Florida United States
Median Home Value $331,489 $375,661 $332,700
Median Rent $1,284 $1,669 $1,413
Median Income $83,464 $74,568 $80,734
Home Value To Income 4.0x 5.0x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.18x 0.27x 0.21x

Alachua, FL Costs By Category

Detailed Alachua Services costs vs. Florida
Item Alachua Florida
Shampoo $1.41 $1.28
Movie $13.48 $12.13
Bowling $16.89 $18
Haircut $22.56 $24.26
Beauty Salon $62.28 $45.56
Detailed Alachua Groceries costs vs. Florida
Item Alachua Florida
Ground Beef $5.76 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.42 $1.57
Milk $4.55 $4.67
Potatoes $5.29 $4.93
Pizza $10.99 $12.09
Beer $11.0 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.65 $3.7
Detailed Alachua Health costs vs. Florida
Item Alachua Florida
Optometrist $80.94 $125.68
Doctor $125.35 $135.78
Dentist $103.14 $113.29
Detailed Alachua Transportation costs vs. Florida
Item Alachua Florida
Gasoline $3.36 $3.46
Tire Balancing $54.31 $59.92
Detailed Alachua Utilities costs vs. Florida
Item Alachua Florida
All Electricity $162.33 $193.99
Phone $192.62 $192.25

Alachua SnackAbility

7Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 7/10
Housing 8/10
Affordability 6/10
Diversity 8.5/10
Safety 5/10
Amenities 6/10
Education 9/10
Commute 6/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Alachua

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Alachua. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Gainesville, FL has a cost of living index of 104, 1.0x Alachua.

  • Ocala, FL has a cost of living index of 100, 0.9x Alachua.

  • Lakeside, FL has a cost of living index of 102, 0.9x Alachua.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Alachua
Gainesville, FL 145,702 104 1.0x
Ocala, FL 66,584 100 0.9x
Lakeside, FL 32,105 102 0.9x
Oakleaf Plantation, FL 32,070 115 1.1x
Middleburg, FL 11,644 102 0.9x
Palatka, FL 10,650 88 0.8x
Newberry, FL 7,865 107 1.0x
High Springs, FL 6,544 104 1.0x