Cost of living in Key West 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 Key West 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 Key West is 170, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Key West is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Key West ranks as the #450 cheapest in Florida out of 459.
Key West ranks as the #6,068 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Key West is $1,025,892.
The median income in Key West is $78,532.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Key West has an overall cost of living index of 170, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Florida, Key West has a cost of living index that's 1.8x higher than Florida's index of 97.
The standard of living in Key West ranks as #450 most affordable out of the 459 places we measured in Florida. By definition, that implies Key West ranks as the #9 most expensive place in the Sunshine State.
For more reading on life in Key West, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Key West. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Key West is 105.
The Groceries index in Key West is 104.
The Health index in Key West is 94.
The Housing index in Key West is 320.
The Transportation index in Key West is 105.
The Utilities index in Key West is 104.
| Living Expense | Key West | Florida | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 170 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 105 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 104 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 94 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 320 | 96 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 105 | 97 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 104 | 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 Key West is $1,025,892.
The Median Rent in Key West is $2,075.
The Median Income in Key West is $78,532.
The Home Value To Income in Key West is 13.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Key West is 0.32x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Key West. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Marathon, FL has a cost of living index of 145, 0.9x Key West.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Key West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon, FL | 9,831 | 145 | 0.9x |