Cost of living in Tallahassee 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 Tallahassee 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 Tallahassee is 102, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Tallahassee is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Tallahassee ranks as the #168 cheapest in Florida out of 459.
Tallahassee ranks as the #2,846 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Tallahassee is $288,793.
The median income in Tallahassee is $55,931.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Tallahassee has an overall cost of living index of 102, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Florida, Tallahassee has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Florida's index of 97.
The standard of living in Tallahassee ranks as #168 most affordable out of the 459 places we measured in Florida. By definition, that implies Tallahassee ranks as the #291 most expensive place in the Sunshine State.
For more reading on life in Tallahassee, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Tallahassee. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Tallahassee is 95.
The Groceries index in Tallahassee is 97.
The Health index in Tallahassee is 107.
The Housing index in Tallahassee is 111.
The Transportation index in Tallahassee is 98.
The Utilities index in Tallahassee is 83.
| Living Expense | Tallahassee | Florida | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 102 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 95 | 96 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 111 | 96 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 98 | 97 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 83 | 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 Tallahassee is $288,793.
The Median Rent in Tallahassee is $1,238.
The Median Income in Tallahassee is $55,931.
The Home Value To Income in Tallahassee is 5.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Tallahassee is 0.27x.
| Statistic | Tallahassee | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $288,793 | $377,066 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,238 | $1,564 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $55,931 | $71,711 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.2x | 5.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.26x | 0.21x |
| Item | Tallahassee | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.42 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.02 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.5 | $18 |
| Haircut | $23.64 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $35.6 | $45.56 |
| Item | Tallahassee | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.87 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.4 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.56 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.27 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.97 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.26 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.74 | $3.7 |
| Item | Tallahassee | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $116.93 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $122.6 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $111.7 | $113.29 |
| Item | Tallahassee | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.37 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.5 | $59.92 |
| Item | Tallahassee | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $189.14 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $193.94 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Tallahassee. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Thomasville, GA has a cost of living index of 95, 0.9x Tallahassee.
Bainbridge, GA has a cost of living index of 84, 0.8x Tallahassee.
Cairo, GA has a cost of living index of 89, 0.9x Tallahassee.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomasville, GA | 18,720 | 95 | 0.9x |
| Bainbridge, GA | 14,353 | 84 | 0.8x |
| Cairo, GA | 10,067 | 89 | 0.9x |
| Quincy, FL | 7,818 | 83 | 0.8x |
| Crawfordville, FL | 5,892 | 97 | 1.0x |