Living in South Florida isn’t just about sunshine and skyline views anymore. According to a new report, it now takes a six-figure salary just to stay afloat with a comfortable lifestyle in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro area.
A study from travel research site Upgraded Points analyzed data from the Economic Policy Institute to figure out what it takes, dollar-wise, to live comfortably in the 53 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. The researchers based their estimates on a 50/30/20 budget rule: 50 percent of income for necessities like rent and food, 30 percent for wants, and 20 percent for savings or debt payments.
The results show a significant gap between what people earn and what they need. In South Florida, a single adult needs to make at least $118,000 a year to meet that comfort standard. But the average income in the region is closer to $43,000 — a shortfall of nearly $75,000.
Nationwide, the average adult must earn about $106,000 annually to reach similar financial comfort levels. According to polling data from research firm YouGov, only about 18 percent of U.S. adults currently make more than $100,000 per year.
Living comfortably becomes even more expensive for families. In South Florida, the baseline for financial comfort rises sharply with each additional child. Two adults with no kids would need around $154,000 in income. With one child, it jumps to $209,000. Two kids push it to $244,000, and three kids require at least $300,000 a year to keep up.
Across the board, the study found that core living expenses — housing, groceries, child care — have spiked in every major metro. But Miami ranks particularly high. Out of all 53 cities on the list, the South Florida metro ranks as the 14th most expensive in the country. In the Southeastern U.S., only Atlanta is pricier.
The most expensive metro overall is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara in California, where a single adult reportedly needs $163,000 to achieve a comfortable lifestyle. The most affordable? Cleveland, where that figure drops to about $86,000.
For locals trying to build a life here, the numbers underline a challenge that’s felt daily — whether through a rent hike notice pinned to the door or a grocery bill that seems to grow every month. The cost of living may not be new news to those who call Miami home, but putting it in hard numbers shows just how deep the gap has grown between income and the cost of staying put.
As costs keep climbing and wages stagnate, the idea of “living comfortably” in South Florida now feels more like a financial milestone than a baseline. And for many residents, it’s one that’s increasingly out of reach.
