Cost of living in Ocean City 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 Ocean City 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 Ocean City is 99, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Ocean City is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Ocean City ranks as the #138 cheapest in Florida out of 459.
Ocean City ranks as the #2,497 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Ocean City is $377,762.
The median income in Ocean City is $56,160.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Ocean City has an overall cost of living index of 99, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Florida, Ocean City has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Florida's index of 97.
The standard of living in Ocean City ranks as #138 most affordable out of the 459 places we measured in Florida. By definition, that implies Ocean City ranks as the #321 most expensive place in the Sunshine State.
For more reading on life in Ocean City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Ocean City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Ocean City is 103.
The Groceries index in Ocean City is 97.
The Health index in Ocean City is 92.
The Housing index in Ocean City is 106.
The Transportation index in Ocean City is 87.
The Utilities index in Ocean City is 81.
| Living Expense | Ocean City | Florida | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 99 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 103 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 92 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 106 | 96 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 87 | 97 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 81 | 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 Ocean City is $377,762.
The Median Rent in Ocean City is $1,340.
The Median Income in Ocean City is $56,160.
The Home Value To Income in Ocean City is 6.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Ocean City is 0.29x.
| Statistic | Ocean City | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $377,762 | $377,066 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,340 | $1,564 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $56,160 | $71,711 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.7x | 5.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.29x | 0.26x | 0.21x |
| Item | Ocean City | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.17 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.99 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $20.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $21.34 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $52.41 | $45.56 |
| Item | Ocean City | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.17 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.67 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.5 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.2 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.56 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.49 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.71 | $3.7 |
| Item | Ocean City | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $107.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $106.49 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $113.85 | $113.29 |
| Item | Ocean City | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.2 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $47.55 | $59.92 |
| Item | Ocean City | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $142.23 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $188.01 | $192.25 |