Florida is well-known as an American retirement haven, thanks to financial breaks (no retirement income taxation or state sales tax), an already large population of retirees and retirement-friendly culture, warm weather and beautiful locales. Despite those benefits, there are still a number of extremely expensive cities in The Sunshine State, places where the high cost of living can drain a retirement budget far too quickly.
With that in mind, GOBankingRates turned to U.S. News & World Report’s recent list of the 250 best American cities to retire in 2026, and sourced from it the top 25 Florida locations. Additionally, we included each city’s ranking in the U.S. overall (again, per U.S. News & World Report), as well as their median monthly rent. Finally, each city’s cost of living index score was pulled from Best Places. On the cost of living index, the national average is 100; any city with a score under that has below-average cost of living, and any city with a score higher than 100 has above-average cost of living.
Armed with this information, prospective retirees looking to live the (affordable) good life in Florida for their golden years now have a listing of best possible cities to do so — locations with great weather, gorgeous beaches and affordable cost of living.
1. Homosassa Springs
- U.S. rank: 301
- Cost-of-living index: 87.8
- Median monthly rent: $863
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2. Spring Hill
- U.S. rank: 272
- Cost-of-living index: 95.9
- Median monthly rent: $1,127
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3. Palm Coast
- U.S. rank: 489
- Cost-of-living index: 98.7
- Median monthly rent: $1,467
4. Palm Harbor
- U.S. rank: 68
- Cost-of-living index: 102.8
- Median monthly rent: $1,715
5. Naples
- U.S. rank: 179
- Cost-of-living index: 113
- Median monthly rent: $1,873
6. Pensacola
- U.S. rank: 166
- Cost-of-living index: 89
- Median monthly rent: $1,188
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7. Cape Coral
- U.S. rank: 296
- Cost-of-living index: 104.2
- Median monthly rent: $1,688
8. Bonita Springs
- U.S. rank: 203
- Cost-of-living index: 104.2
- Median monthly rent: $1,722
9. Port Charlotte
- U.S. rank: 409
- Cost-of-living index: 93.7
- Median monthly rent: $1,131
10. Jacksonville
- U.S. rank: 278
- Cost-of-living index: 95.7
- Median monthly rent: $1,351
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11. Pinellas Park
- U.S. rank: 216
- Cost-of-living index: 102.8
- Median monthly rent: $1,582
12. Largo
- U.S. rank: 253
- Cost-of-living index: 102.8
- Median monthly rent: $1,580
13. Punta Gorda
- U.S. rank: 271
- Cost-of-living index: 93.7
- Median monthly rent: $1,156
14. Zephyrhills
- U.S. rank: 364
- Cost-of-living rank: 98
- Median monthly rent: $1,070
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15. Palm Bay
- U.S. rank: 394
- Cost-of-living rank: 95.6
- Median monthly rent: $1,471
16. Crestview
- U.S. rank: 383
- Cost-of-living rank: 100.9
- Median monthly rent: $1,168
17. Clermont
- U.S. rank: 241
- Cost-of-living rank: 100.7
- Median monthly rent: $1,674
18. Brandon
- U.S. rank: 251
- Cost-of-living rank: 104.2
- Median monthly rent: $1,654
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19. Clearwater
- U.S. rank: 326
- Cost-of-living rank: 102.8
- Median monthly rent: $1,634
20. Weston
- U.S. rank: 74
- Cost-of-living rank: 110.5
- Median monthly rent: $2,373
21. Riverview
- U.S. rank: 198
- Cost-of-living rank: 104.2
- Median monthly rent: $1,756
22. Palm Beach Gardens
- U.S. rank: 152
- Cost-of-living rank: 114.1
- Median monthly rent: $2,102
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23. Melbourne
- U.S. rank: 416
- Cost-of-living rank: 95.6
- Median monthly rent: $1,427
24. Ormond Beach
- U.S. rank: 162
- Cost-of-living rank: 94.9
- Median monthly rent: $1,309
25. Tampa
- U.S. rank: 265
- Cost-of-living rank: 104.2
- Median monthly rent: $1,627
Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 25 Best Florida Cities To Retire Comfortably in 2026
