Maybe you want the Florida lifestyle and your job will look remotely, what’s the cheapest ? Maybe you’re retiring and didn’t save up enough to move to Port Royal in Naples. Well, here’s something that many people don’t realize. You can actually live in Florida really cheap. With no state income tax and a LOT of real estate in the state, there are many places you can go to live cheap. I mean, probably not near the coast but you can be near water. We have plenty of lakes. And you can drive. You can live cheap and still be just a few hours away from Disney World. Or maybe a drive to South Beach. Prefer the gulf coast and the white sandy beaches? You won’t be on the beach, but close enough to drive there.

The good folks at Home Snacks have broken down the cheapest places in live in Florida based on two criteria: How much do you make, and how much does it cost to live there. Here’s how they put it.

“For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.”

To see the full list of 100 cheapest places to live in Florida, that’s here. You’ll see that it’s actually cheaper to live in St. Pete than it is Cape Coral. No Naples did not make this list.

So, you’re ready to live cheap in the Sunshine State? Let’s take a look at the 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Florida

10. DeFuniak Springs
DeFuniak Springs is on the Florida panhandle along I-10 in Walton County. Originally a railroad stop in 1882 there’s a lot of history in this town. And, it’s the 10th cheapest place to live in Florida.
9. High Springs
Home to the O’leno State Park and about 80 miles SW of Jacksonville, High Springs comes in at number 9.
8. Newberry
Newberry was once a support city for a phosphate mine, now there’s watermelon farms and of course, the train.
7. Bartow
Bartow may sound familiar because it’s just east of Tampa. Population around 20K, you can be at Busch Gardens in less than an hour and on St. Pete Beach in under 90 minutes. This is what we meant by living cheap but still a short drive away.

BARTOW, FL – SEPTEMBER 11: Crowds gather around the Foundation Rock monument following a dedication ceremony at the Polk County administration building September 11, 2003 in Bartow, Florida. The installation of the nearly 6,000-pound granite monument, which depicts the Ten Commandments as well as the Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights and other historical documents, took place only two weeks after a high-profile standoff over a Ten Commandments monument in Alabama, which ended with a federal court order for its removal. American Civil Liberties officials were expected to examine the monument to determine if it violates separation of church and state. (Photo by Chris Livingston/Getty Images)
6. Lake Alfred
Lake Alfred is number 6 on the list but really sets up to be just about what we’re looking for. A population of 5,788. In between Tampa and Orlando. A beautiful state park. Low crime. And affordable.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/29-Sofia-Ln_Lake-Alfred_FL_33850_M91040-26632
5. Clewiston
Hendry County! Located on Lake O’s Coot Bay, Clewiston’s population is listed at less than 8,000 but it’s got a Wal Mart. Plus there’s sugar cane fires. Actually, the Sugar Festival is coming up. Cole Swindell and Sawyer Brown are playing.

CLEWISTON, FL – Sugar cane is prepared for harvest by burning off dead leaves and other things in the U.S. Sugar Corporation fields in Clewiston, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
4. Macclenny
Macclenny is just down the road from Jacksonville, but far enough away from Jacksonville. If you know what I mean. I’m guessing not much goes on in Macclenny, as I can’t even find a good picture to share. I do see that their Wal Mart stays open ’til 11.
3. Quincy
There’s actually a lot of secret millionaires in Quincy with family money dating back to the great depression. As the story goes

“In the midst of the Great Depression, local banker Mark Welch “Mr Pat” Munroe noticed that no matter how impoverished the person or how dire their financial situation, they’d always spend their last nickel on a nice, frosty glass of Coca-Cola. Numbers aside, as the legend goes, this was what convinced Munroe that Coca-Cola would be a perfect long-term investment.”

The banker talked up Coca Cola stock to anyone who would listen. Buy the stock at $19 a share and never, ever sell. Because there’s no formal record, an estimated 67 families did just that. One single $19 Coca Cola share from that era with dividends reinvested would be worth around 10 million dollars today. And it still comes in at our number 3 most affordable.
2. Fort Meade
A name you’ll probably recognize as it’s close to Tampa and along 17 if you take that way to go to Orlando from SWFL. People in Fort Meade love kayaking, canoeing, legos, and a low cost of living. There’s also some amazing BBQ there. And Robertson Park got some crazy old trees.
1. Live Oak
There had to be a number one, and here it is. Live Oak is listed as the cheapest place to live in Florida. In Suwannee County, about halfway between Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Live Oak is closer to Georgia than the coast. If you’re interested, Live Oak is looking to hire a firefighter/EMT and a Police Officer.