Moving to Florida from Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Virginia to Florida? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Virginia to Florida, you would find that Florida is 8.9% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $71,662 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallahassee averages 80°F vs 70°F in Richmond, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Virginia and Florida.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $71,662
To maintain the same standard of living in Florida
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 0.1% less
Groceries
pay 10.3% less
Transportation
pay 6.1% less
Housing
pay 7.9% more
Childcare
pay 39.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.1% 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%).
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Florida compared to Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia generally does better on safety, though Florida leads in property crime rate.
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
Virginia 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
Florida generally does better on what about housing?, though Virginia leads in median rent.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though Florida leads in internet access.
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
Virginia performs better than Florida across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Virginia performs better than Florida across all family life metrics.
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 | Richmond | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 91°/71°F (33°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 73°/48°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Florida than Virginia?
On average Florida is about 4% less expensive than Virginia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Florida?
Budget about $17,916 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?
Virginia generally does better on safety, though Florida leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Florida compared to Virginia?
Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Florida compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
