Cost of living in Fort Myers 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 Fort Myers 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:
The cost of living index in Fort Myers is 111, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Fort Myers is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Fort Myers ranks as the #285 cheapest in Florida out of 459.
Fort Myers ranks as the #3,765 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Fort Myers is $313,309.
The median income in Fort Myers is $62,160.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Fort Myers has an overall cost of living index of 111, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Florida, Fort Myers has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Florida's index of 97.
The standard of living in Fort Myers ranks as #285 most affordable out of the 459 places we measured in Florida. By definition, that implies Fort Myers ranks as the #174 most expensive place in the Sunshine State.
For more reading on life in Fort Myers, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Fort Myers. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Fort Myers is 106.
The Groceries index in Fort Myers is 98.
The Health index in Fort Myers is 110.
The Housing index in Fort Myers is 130.
The Transportation index in Fort Myers is 107.
The Utilities index in Fort Myers is 95.
| Living Expense | Fort Myers | Florida | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 111 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 106 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 110 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 130 | 96 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 97 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 95 | 100 | |
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 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Fort Myers is $313,309.
The Median Rent in Fort Myers is $1,442.
The Median Income in Fort Myers is $62,160.
The Home Value To Income in Fort Myers is 5.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Fort Myers is 0.28x.
| Statistic | Fort Myers | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $313,309 | $377,066 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,442 | $1,564 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $62,160 | $71,711 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.0x | 5.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.28x | 0.26x | 0.21x |
| Item | Fort Myers | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.45 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.05 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.2 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.2 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $54.05 | $45.56 |
| Item | Fort Myers | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.06 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.4 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.57 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.24 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.72 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.06 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.63 | $3.7 |
| Item | Fort Myers | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $101.67 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $153.94 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $122.09 | $113.29 |
| Item | Fort Myers | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $74.92 | $59.92 |
| Item | Fort Myers | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $179.36 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $194.07 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Fort Myers. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Cape Coral, FL has a cost of living index of 113, 1.0x Fort Myers.
Lehigh Acres, FL has a cost of living index of 102, 0.9x Fort Myers.
Bonita Springs, FL has a cost of living index of 120, 1.1x Fort Myers.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Fort Myers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral, FL | 206,387 | 113 | 1.0x |
| Lehigh Acres, FL | 127,391 | 102 | 0.9x |
| Bonita Springs, FL | 54,830 | 120 | 1.1x |
| North Fort Myers, FL | 44,189 | 94 | 0.8x |
| San Carlos Park, FL | 18,252 | 110 | 1.0x |
| Iona, FL | 14,290 | 111 | 1.0x |
| Villas, FL | 13,578 | 106 | 1.0x |
| Cypress Lake, FL | 13,145 | 104 | 0.9x |
| Gateway, FL | 9,603 | 117 | 1.1x |
| McGregor, FL | 8,198 | 123 | 1.1x |