B+
10%
Overall NAT. AVG.
6%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
24%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Margate Florida National
Cost of living11099100
Goods & Services106100100
Groceries108105100
Health care8394100
Housing12497100
Transportation10099100
Utilities10398100
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An Overview of Cost of Living in Margate, FL

The cost of living in Margate affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Margate is 110, which is 10% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.

Everyday expenditures like food, housing, goods and services, transportation and health care in Margate are priced in a manner consistent with other areas. This means that residents of Margate can anticipate their daily expenses remaining reasonably similar to those in an average city, thereby supporting a manageable cost of living.

Housing costs significantly influence the Margate cost of living index, typically accounting for a substantial portion of one's post-tax income. Regrettably, within this particular region, expenses related to both residential ownership and renting exceeded those observed in an average city by 24.4%. This entails elements such as housing and rental prices, mortgage interest rates and insurance costs.

Is Margate Affordable?

Is Margate an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Margate is 18.8% higher than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 37.3% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Margate has a median household income of $68,621, which is 15.6% lower than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Margate?

Utilities: Similar to the prices of any goods or services, utility expenses can fluctuate widely, contingent on variables such as climate, available energy sources, geographical location and state regulations. Costs associated with electricity, water, heating, and waste disposal can differ in magnitude, depending on the specific city or state. In Margate, the utilities index registers at 3.3% higher than the national average.

Healthcare: Healthcare expenses and insurance premiums can vary significantly depending on the specific city or state. Factors such as accessibility to healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor's visits, dental care expenses, prescription costs and specialized medical care fees can all influence the overall cost of living. In Margate, healthcare costs are 17.3% lower than the national average.

Housing: A sought-after location with high housing demand often leads to increased property values and rental rates, which can significantly inflate the overall cost of living. Conversely, areas with low housing demand, particularly in less desirable locales, tend to experience the opposite effect, causing prices to drop and contributing to a more affordable cost of living. In Margate, the housing index stands at 24.4% higher than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Margate cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Margate is 11% higher than the Florida average
  • The cost of living in Margate is 10% higher than the national average
  • Margate housing is 24% higher than the national average
  • Florida general sales tax is 18% higher than the national average
  • Florida state income tax is 100% lower than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Margate

See all the best places to live around Margate

Compare Margate, FL Cost of Living

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      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$80,293$6,691$1,873$2,409
      Renters$51,442$4,287$1,200$1,543
      The affordability of the housing market in Margate, FL as well as the overall cost of living can be predicted by what percent of the monthly income is spent on housing related costs. This is konwn as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The overall rule of thumb is that no more than 28% of your gross income should be spent on the overall costs related to housing and no more than 36% of gross income on all expenses and debts. Among Margate homeowners, the median income is $80,293. This indicates that a monthly maximum of $1,873 should be spent by homeowners on all housing related costs. Renters have a median income of $51,442. This indicates that renters would have a maximum of $1,200 for their rent related monthly costs.

      Florida Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      Florida 6% 7.5%

      Florida Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      Florida 0% 0%

      Goods & Services

      Item Margate National avg. Difference
      Haircut $30.48$27.6210.4%
      Beauty Salon $70.25$51.1137.5%
      Toothpaste $4.02$4.091.8%
      Shampoo $1.77$1.5414.8%
      Movie $18.42$12.8843.0%
      Yoga $26.65$19.6635.5%

      Groceries

      Item Margate National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $7.93$7.702.9%
      Fried Chicken $1.54$1.667.4%
      Milk $4.81$4.731.6%
      Potatoes $5.46$5.263.9%
      Pizza $14.16$12.7610.9%
      Beer $11.77$10.5511.6%

      Health Care

      Item Margate National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $114.79$140.0618.0%
      Doctor $139.71$153.829.2%
      Dentist $95.61$123.1522.4%
      Ibuprofen $11.99$11.732.2%
      Lipitor $16.95$23.6128.2%

      Housing

      Item Margate National avg. Difference
      Home Price $388,024.00$326,622.0018.8%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $4,366.66$2,480.2576.1%
      Apartment Rent $1,983.00$1,444.0037.3%

      Transportation

      Item Margate National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $3.04$3.060.5%
      Tire Balancing $66.36$65.211.8%

      Utilities

      Item Margate National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $230.06$220.124.5%
      Phone $198.85$195.711.6%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Lauderdale Lakes, FL37,351982.3%
      Franklin Park, FL1,602982.1%
      Roosevelt Gardens, FL2,139990.5%
      Lauderhill, FL73,7821054.7%
      Watergate, FL3,7881055.0%
      Margate, FL59,7871109.8%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Dubuque, IA59,811918.7%
      White Plains, NY59,85616362.9%
      Hendersonville, TN59,85611111.1%
      Sarasota, FL59,70511615.7%
      South Whittier, CA59,92415656.4%
      Margate, FL59,7871109.8%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.