Cost of Living in Cape Coral, Florida
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Cape Coral, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 236,264
- Median household income
- $85,584
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 102.3
- Unemployment rate
- 3.4%
Is Cape Coral a good place to live?
Cape Coral is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 150 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in Cape Coral keeps $1,835 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living2% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,736 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Cape Coral
Prices in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL area run 2% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 25% above the US average.
- Housing25% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities13% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items2% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,736 | $20,832 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $348 | $4,176 |
| Utilities | $226 | $2,712 |
| Total before taxes | $3,161 | $37,932 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Cape Coral | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,725 | $1,555 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,736 | $1,564 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,037 | $1,835 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,637 | $2,373 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,907 | $2,615 |
Living in Cape Coral
How Cape Coral compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Cape Coral | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,584 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $401,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,998 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 20.8% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 30.1% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 48 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 31.8 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 15% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.3% | 3.7% |
The 1-year survey doesn’t publish commuting method for Cape Coral, so those figures come from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Home internet
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Cape Coral, led by Quantum Fiber, Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon. Fiber reaches 90.9% of homes and 94.3% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Cape Coral
Pros
- Strong job market. Unemployment is 3.4%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- No state income tax. Florida doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Fast home internet. 94.3% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
Cons
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $1,998 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $1,835 a year, less than in 150 of 178 large cities.
- Longer commutes. The average one-way commute is 31.8 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
What your job keeps in Cape Coral
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $46,780
- Federal income tax
- −$3,434
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,579
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$20,832
- Everyday costs
- −$17,100
a year, or $153 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Project manager | $96,600 | $38,856 |
| Registered nurse | $82,860 | $29,190 |
| Accountant | $79,420 | $26,770 |
| Teacher | $60,392 | $12,773 |
| HVAC technician | $58,170 | $10,988 |
| Electrician | $57,930 | $10,794 |
| Carpenter | $49,210 | $3,788 |
| Truck driver | $48,950 | $3,579 |
| Medical assistant | $42,860 | −$1,314 |
| Nursing assistant | $37,510 | −$5,613 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Cape Coral on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $1,884
- Civil engineer $30,688
- Data scientist $52,378
- Dental assistant $1,507
- Dental hygienist $35,001
- Dentist $95,660
- Diesel mechanic $14,073
- Financial analyst $26,721
- Firefighter $12,458
- Lawyer $61,813
- Licensed practical nurse $13,687
- Lineman $26,819
- Mechanical engineer $39,939
- Nurse practitioner $61,963
- Occupational therapist $41,846
- Paralegal $13,020
- Paramedic $12,570
- Pharmacist $65,525
- Pharmacy technician −$4
- Physical therapist $42,564
- Physician assistant $63,351
- Plumber $5,781
- Police officer $24,864
- Radiologic technologist $25,342
- Respiratory therapist $27,656
- Social worker $12,061
- Software engineer $60,097
- Speech-language pathologist $41,206
- Veterinarian $61,464
- Welder $6,360
Compare Cape Coral with other cities
Compare Cape Coral with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Cape Coral
3 licensed interstate movers are based in Cape Coral, and 12 more elsewhere in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Cape Coral, FL a good place to live?
Cape Coral is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 150 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $46,780 and keeps $1,835 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Cape Coral?
Prices in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL area are 2% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,736 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,425 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Cape Coral?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $44,500 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL area earns $46,780.
What is the average rent in Cape Coral?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,725 for a studio, $1,736 for a 1-bedroom and $2,037 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Cape Coral at $1,998 a month (2024).
Does Cape Coral have a state or city income tax?
Florida has no state income tax on wages. Cape Coral has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Cape Coral?
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Cape Coral, led by Quantum Fiber, Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon. 90.9% of homes can get fiber and 94.3% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate