Moving to Florida from Illinois
What to Expect
Considering a move from Illinois to Florida? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Illinois to Florida, you would find that Florida is 1.1% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $82,985 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallahassee averages 80°F vs 63°F in Springfield, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Illinois and Florida.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $82,985
To maintain the same standard of living in Florida
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 12.6% more
Groceries
pay 10.1% more
Transportation
pay 6.4% less
Housing
pay 20.9% more
Childcare
pay 29.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Florida cost about 10% more than cities in Illinois.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Florida compared to Illinois.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Florida performs significantly better than Illinois across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Illinois generally does better on what about housing?, though Florida leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Florida performs significantly better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Florida leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Illinois generally does better on family life, though Florida leads in life expectancy.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Springfield | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) | 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) | 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 91°/71°F (33°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) | 73°/48°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Springfield | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) | 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) | 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) | 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) | 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) | 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) | 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C) |
| Jul | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) | 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C) |
| Aug | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) | 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) | 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C) |
| Nov | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) | 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C) |
| Dec | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) | 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Florida than Illinois?
On average Florida is around 11% pricier than Illinois, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Florida?
Budget about $20,746 for 3 months in Florida (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Florida safe?
Florida performs significantly better than Illinois across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Florida compared to Illinois?
Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Florida compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in.
