Fort Lauderdale, FL vs Port St. Lucie, FL

Port St. Lucie is moderately more affordable than Fort Lauderdale, with a 11.8% lower cost of living index. Fort Lauderdale scores 130 compared to 117 for Port St. Lucie, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Fort Lauderdale can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Fort Lauderdale is $1,776/month compared to $1,781/month in Port St. Lucie — a 0% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Fort Lauderdale has cheaper rent, Port St. Lucie actually has lower median home values ($327,700 vs $455,600).

Median household income in Fort Lauderdale is $79,935 compared to $78,137 in Port St. Lucie (+2.3%). Fort Lauderdale does offer higher incomes, but the salary premium barely offsets the higher cost of living, leaving residents with a tighter budget. Looking at affordability, residents of Fort Lauderdale spend roughly 26.7% of their income on rent, less than the 27.4% in Port St. Lucie.