13 Cheapest Places To Retire by the Beach in Florida
The Sunshine State is home to more than a few hotspots where you can retire by the beach on a budget. MoneyLion pulled the top Florida cities with a total monthly cost of living under $4,000. Four cities -- Pensacola, Crystal River, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville -- have monthly costs under $3,500, making them ideal for retirees on slightly tighter budgets.
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See which 13 hotspots are among the cheapest places to retire by the beach in Florida.
1. Pensacola
% of retired people: 21.3%
Median household income: $74,212
Monthly cost of living: $3,226
Livability: 83
2. Crystal River
% of retired people: 46.6%
Median household income: $54,405
Monthly cost of living: $3,310
Livability: 66
3. Daytona Beach
% of retired people: 22.5%
Median household income: $52,058
Monthly cost of living: $3,371
Livability: 80
4. Jacksonville
% of retired people: 14.9%
Median household income: $69,872
Monthly cost of living: $3,488
Livability: 84
5. Lakeland
% of retired people: 21.5%
Median household income: $64,185
Monthly cost of living: $3,509
Livability: 77
6. Hudson
% of retired people: 46.4%
Median household income: $51,513
Monthly cost of living: $3,567
Livability: 73
7. Englewood
% of retired people: 60.1%
Median household income: $69,222
Monthly cost of living: $3,703
Livability: 72
8. Punta Gorda
% of retired people: 53.6%
Median household income: $85,779
Monthly cost of living: $3,783
Livability: 76
9. Melbourne
% of retired people: 22.5%
Median household income: $66,991
Monthly cost of living: $3,823
Livability: 85
10. Vero Beach
% of retired people: 28.9%
Median household income: $69,758
Monthly cost of living: $3,874
Livability: 79
11. Fort Myers
% of retired people: 23.2%
Median household income: $63,732
Monthly cost of living: $3,912
Livability: 85
12. Clearwater
% of retired people: 24.1%
Median household income: $66,381
Monthly cost of living: $3,979
Livability: 81
13. Port St. Lucie
% of retired people: 21.8%
Median household income: $80,648
Monthly cost of living: $3,997
Livability: 68
Methodology: Beach towns were sourced from Travel + Leisure, Thrillist.com, Realtor.com, U.S. News & World Report, and USA Today. Population ages 65 and over and income were sourced from the U.S. Census 2024 5-Year ACS. Cost of living was calculated using data from Sperling's BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index and Federal Reserve Economic Data. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes. The beach towns were sorted to show the cheapest cost of living first. All data is up to date as of March 4, 2026.
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This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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