Moving to Florida from Kansas

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Kansas to Florida — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Kansas to Florida, you would find that Florida is 15.0% more expensive than Kansas. A $75,000 salary in Kansas would need to be roughly $92,916 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallahassee averages 80°F vs 66°F in Topeka, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kansas to Florida.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $92,916

To maintain the same standard of living in Florida

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 20.3% more

Groceries

pay 16.1% more

Transportation

pay 18.8% more

Housing

pay 39.4% more

Childcare

pay 6.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 8% more than cities in Kansas.

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Kansas to Florida.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KS
424
FL
280
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KS
2068
FL
1461

Florida performs significantly better than Kansas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

KS
8.6%
FL
11.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

KS
36.8%
FL
32.6%

Kansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

KS
$203,400
FL
$325,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

KS
$1,029
FL
$1,564

Kansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Florida leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

KS
89.5%
FL
90.4%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

KS
20 min
FL
28 min

Kansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Florida leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KS
3.4%
FL
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

KS
$60,996
FL
$57,636

Kansas performs better than Florida across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

KS
76.4 yrs
FL
77.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

KS
23%
FL
22%

Kansas 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.

Topeka Rain: 38.9 in/yr (989 mm)
66° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Tallahassee Rain: 59.2 in/yr (1504 mm)
80° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Topeka Tallahassee
Jan–Mar 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 68°/43°F (20°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 86°/61°F (30°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) 91°/71°F (33°/22°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) 73°/48°F (23°/9°C)
View all months
Month Topeka Tallahassee
Jan 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C)
Feb 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C)
Mar 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C)
Apr 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C)
May 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C)
Jun 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C)
Jul 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C)
Aug 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C)
Sep 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C)
Oct 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C)
Nov 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C)
Dec 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Florida than Kansas?

No — Florida is on average about 24% more expensive than Kansas. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Florida?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $23,229 in Florida on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Florida safe?

Florida performs significantly better than Kansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Florida compared to Kansas?

Kansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.

What's the weather like in Florida compared to Kansas?

The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 66°F in Topeka. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Topeka gets 38.9 in.

Share this