Cost of living in Sanibel 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 Sanibel 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 Sanibel is 161, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Sanibel is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Sanibel ranks as the #446 cheapest in Florida out of 459.
Sanibel ranks as the #5,919 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Sanibel is $807,736.
The median income in Sanibel is $122,730.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sanibel has an overall cost of living index of 161, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Florida, Sanibel has a cost of living index that's 1.7x higher than Florida's index of 97.
The standard of living in Sanibel ranks as #446 most affordable out of the 459 places we measured in Florida. By definition, that implies Sanibel ranks as the #13 most expensive place in the Sunshine State.
For more reading on life in Sanibel, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Sanibel. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Sanibel is 103.
The Groceries index in Sanibel is 99.
The Health index in Sanibel is 109.
The Housing index in Sanibel is 301.
The Transportation index in Sanibel is 106.
The Utilities index in Sanibel is 97.
| Living Expense | Sanibel | Florida | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 161 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 103 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 109 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 301 | 96 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 106 | 97 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 97 | 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 Sanibel is $807,736.
The Median Rent in Sanibel is $747.
The Median Income in Sanibel is $122,730.
The Home Value To Income in Sanibel is 6.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Sanibel is 0.07x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Sanibel. 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, 0.7x Sanibel.
San Carlos Park, FL has a cost of living index of 110, 0.7x Sanibel.
Iona, FL has a cost of living index of 111, 0.7x Sanibel.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Sanibel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral, FL | 206,387 | 113 | 0.7x |
| San Carlos Park, FL | 18,252 | 110 | 0.7x |
| Iona, FL | 14,290 | 111 | 0.7x |
| Villas, FL | 13,578 | 106 | 0.7x |
| Cypress Lake, FL | 13,145 | 104 | 0.6x |
| Fort Myers Beach, FL | 5,548 | 139 | 0.9x |