Last updated September 18, 2026
Boca Raton vs Fort Lauderdale: Cost of Living and Monthly Cost to Own
On the median closed single-family home in 2026, owning in Boca Raton costs about $7,887 a month and owning in Fort Lauderdale about $5,581. For a condo or townhouse, $3,315 versus $4,333. Boca Raton has the lower tax rate. Below is the full stack, every input cited.
Own beats rent from year 10 in Boca Raton, year 5 in Fort Lauderdale (median single-family home). Full break-even math.
See what your home is worth Moving between Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale? Start with the number on the home you already own, or call (561) 395-8418.
The monthly cost to own, side by side
| Boca Raton | Fort Lauderdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Median closed price, single-family (Jan 1 - Aug 31, 2026) | $1,032,500 (n=1,544) | $700,000 (n=1,204) |
| 20% down | $206,500 | $140,000 |
| Principal and interest, 30-yr fixed at 6.95% | $5,468 | $3,707 |
| Property tax with homestead, monthly | $1,405 | $1,013 |
| Home insurance, county average incl. wind, monthly | $527 | $511 |
| Median HOA fee (where applicable) | $487 | $350 |
| Total monthly cost to own, single-family | $7,887 | $5,581 |
| Median closed price, condo/townhouse | $360,000 (n=1,583) | $450,000 (n=1,297) |
| Median condo fee | $764 | $1,170 |
| Total monthly, condo/townhouse | $3,315 | $4,333 |
What the money buys and how fast it moves
| Single-family, closed YTD 2026 | Boca Raton | Fort Lauderdale |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per sq ft | $443 | $441 |
| Median change vs Jan-Aug 2025 | +12.8% (from $915,000) | +6.5% (from $657,500) |
| Median days on market | 26 | 47 |
| Closed price as % of list | 96% | 96% |
| Months of inventory | 3.0 | 5.5 |
| Share of sales under $500k / $500k-1M / over $1M | 5% / 43% / 51% | 29% / 33% / 37% |
| Median year built (closed sales) | 1988 | 1960 |
| Cash purchases, share of closings with financing reported | 51% | 35% |
| Condo/townhouse, closed YTD 2026 | Boca Raton | Fort Lauderdale |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per sq ft | $264 | $359 |
| Median change vs Jan-Aug 2025 | +0.0% | +9.8% |
| Median days on market | 52 | 74 |
| Months of inventory | 6.2 | 13.3 |
| Share of sales under $500k / $500k-1M / over $1M | 66% / 20% / 14% | 53% / 26% / 22% |
| Median year built (closed sales) | 1983 | 1985 |
| Cash purchases | 64% | 56% |
Property tax: rate versus bill
Total 2025 millage on the most common taxing-authority code: Boca Raton 17.0029, Fort Lauderdale 18.4464 (Palm Beach County Property Appraiser and Broward County Property Appraiser, 2025 final rates). Both totals include the county, school district, South Florida Water Management District, Children's Services Council and health-care district levies; the difference is the city operating rate and debt service. Non-ad valorem charges (fire assessment, stormwater, solid waste) are billed on the same statement and are not included here.
Homestead arithmetic used above: the first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all levies and a second $25,000 from non-school levies (s. 196.031, Florida Statutes). Purchase price is treated as the year-one just value; Save Our Homes then caps assessed-value growth at 3% a year for as long as you keep the homestead (s. 193.155). A buyer moving from another Florida homestead may port up to $500,000 of accumulated cap. A long-time owner's bill will be lower than the figure above; a new buyer's will not.
Insurance: same average, different house
FLOIR's July 2026 stability report puts the average homeowners premium with wind at $6,323 a year in Palm Beach County and $6,136 in Broward County; condo unit-owner averages $2,311 and $1,816. The state publishes county, not city, averages, and the premium on any one house is set by roof age, opening protection, elevation and deductible. Statewide average for comparison: $3,757.
Association fees and what they cover
Median monthly fees from the PBP fee indexes (active listings, refreshed nightly): Boca Raton HOA $487 across 151 listings, condo $764 across 855; Fort Lauderdale HOA $350 across 65, condo $1,170 across 1,259.
What condo fees most often include, share of listings that state it: Boca Raton: common areas (77%), grounds (71%), water (70%), cable tv (68%), trash (66%). Fort Lauderdale: trash (79%), water (77%), common areas (74%), sewer (69%), pool (67%). A fee that covers building insurance and water is not comparable to one that does not.
Condo risk signals in current listing remarks: special assessment mentioned in 8.4% of Boca Raton condo listings and 10.1% of Fort Lauderdale; milestone inspection referenced in 2.0% and 8.2%. These are mentions, not a count of buildings under assessment.
Community-level fees and trends: Boca Raton HOA fee index, Boca Raton condo fee index, Fort Lauderdale HOA fee index, Fort Lauderdale condo fee index.
Rent or own: the year buying pulls ahead in each city
Renting the median house is cheaper month to month in both cities. The question is for how long. We gave a renter and an owner the same cash, the same 30 years and the same market, sold the house on paper every year, and marked the year the owner comes out ahead. In Fort Lauderdale that is year 5. In Boca Raton it is year 10.
| Median single-family home | Boca Raton | Fort Lauderdale |
|---|---|---|
| Gross monthly cost to own, incl. 1% maintenance | $8,747 | $6,164 |
| Net cost after year-one principal | $8,041 | $5,685 |
| Median closed single-family lease, 13 months | $6,762 (n=198) | $5,600 (n=318) |
| Renter's monthly advantage, net | $1,279 | $85 |
| Own beats rent from | year 10 | year 5 |
| Owner ahead by, year 10 | +$15,600 | +$141,600 |
| Median condo or townhouse | Boca Raton | Fort Lauderdale |
|---|---|---|
| Gross monthly cost to own | $3,465 | $4,520 |
| Median condo fee inside that | $764 | $1,170 |
| Median closed condominium lease | $2,450 (n=403) | $2,900 (n=590) |
| Own beats rent from | year 22 | year beyond 30 |
Defaults: 6.95% 30-year rate with 20% down, 3% appreciation, 3% rent growth, 4% on cash, 3% buyer closing costs, 6.7% selling costs, Save Our Homes 3% cap, no mortgage-interest deduction. Furnished or seasonal leases make up a large share of the sample (Fort Lauderdale 32%), which lifts the rent median. Full year-by-year tables, the rate and appreciation sensitivity grid and an adjustable calculator: Rent vs own in Boca Raton and Rent vs own in Fort Lauderdale.
Income and population
| Boca Raton | Fort Lauderdale | |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income (ACS 2023 5-yr) | $102,722 | $79,935 |
| Median gross rent (ACS 2023 5-yr) | $2,334 | $1,776 |
| Median closed lease, unfurnished, last 13 months (BeachesMLS) | $2,750 (n=472) | $2,250 (n=779) |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage (ACS) | $3,082 | $2,568 |
| Cost to own at today's median, single-family, as % of median income | +92.1% | +83.8% |
| Population (ACS) | 98,833 | 183,032 |
The ACS owner-cost figure reflects owners who bought years ago at lower prices and rates; the cost-to-own line at the top is what a buyer at today's median price and rate pays. The distance between them is the honest measure of how far the market has moved.
See what your home is worth
Every move between these places starts with one number on the home you already own. Gia Freer prepares a written opinion of value by hand from our own BeachesMLS data, with the comparable sales attached. No automated estimate is published on this site.
See what your home is worth or call (561) 395-8418. Conversations are confidential and there is no cost to having one.
Where the money goes next
- Compare communities: Boca Raton communities and Fort Lauderdale communities, each with a one-page fact sheet.
- Moving from the Northeast: property tax and homestead guide for New York buyers.
- County view and every other pair: Palm Beach County vs Broward County cost of living.
- Selling here first: what your home is worth.
Common questions
Is Fort Lauderdale cheaper than Boca Raton to own a home?
On the median closed single-family home in 2026, yes by about $2,310 a month: $5,581 versus $7,887, at a 30-year rate of 6.95% with 20% down, homestead, county-average insurance and the median association fee. The price difference at the median drives most of the gap.
Which city has lower property taxes, Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale?
Boca Raton. The 2025 total millage on the most common taxing-authority code is 17.0029 mills in Boca Raton and 18.4464 mills in Fort Lauderdale. Both include the county, school district and special-district levies; the difference is the city operating and debt rate. The two cities sit in different counties, so county and district levies differ too.
Are HOA and condo fees higher in Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale?
Median monthly HOA fee: $487 in Boca Raton versus $350 in Fort Lauderdale; median condo fee $764 versus $1,170. Fees vary far more between communities than between the two cities, and what they include differs, so compare at the community level.
Is it better to rent or buy in Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale?
Renting is cheaper month to month in both cities in 2026. On the median single-family home the owner pulls ahead of the renter from year 10 in Boca Raton and year 5 in Fort Lauderdale, at a 6.95% rate with 20% down and 3% appreciation. For condos the fee decides it: year 22 in Boca Raton, year beyond 30 in Fort Lauderdale.
See what your home is worth Two cities, every input shown. The one figure this page cannot show you is your own; that takes a conversation: (561) 395-8418.
Sources and method
Closed prices, price per square foot, days on market, inventory: BeachesMLS, Jan 1 - Aug 31, 2026, retrieved Sep 15, 2026; medians shown only where n >= 10; price bands, year built and cash share from the same closed records. Mortgage: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed 6.95%, week ending 2026-09-17, 20% down. Millage: Palm Beach County and Broward County Property Appraisers, 2025 final rates, most-parcels code per municipality. Homestead: ss. 196.031 and 193.155, F.S. Insurance: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Property Insurance Stability Unit report, July 2026 (data as of Mar 31, 2026). Fees and inclusions: PBP HOA and condo fee indexes. Rents: BeachesMLS closed leases, unfurnished. Income, rent, population: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2023. All figures are estimates for comparison; verify tax with the property appraiser and insurance with a licensed agent. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Common questions
Is Fort Lauderdale cheaper than Boca Raton to own a home?
On the median closed single-family home in 2026, yes by about $2,310 a month: $5,581 versus $7,887, at a 30-year rate of 6.95% with 20% down, homestead, county-average insurance and the median association fee. The price difference at the median drives most of the gap.
Which city has lower property taxes, Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale?
Boca Raton. The 2025 total millage on the most common taxing-authority code is 17.0029 mills in Boca Raton and 18.4464 mills in Fort Lauderdale. Both include the county, school district and special-district levies; the difference is the city operating and debt rate. The two cities sit in different counties, so county and district levies differ too.
Are HOA and condo fees higher in Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale?
Median monthly HOA fee: $487 in Boca Raton versus $350 in Fort Lauderdale; median condo fee $764 versus $1,170. Fees vary far more between communities than between the two cities, and what they include differs, so compare at the community level.
Is it better to rent or buy in Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale?
Renting is cheaper month to month in both cities in 2026. On the median single-family home the owner pulls ahead of the renter from year 10 in Boca Raton and year 5 in Fort Lauderdale, at a 6.95% rate with 20% down and 3% appreciation. For condos the fee decides it: year 22 in Boca Raton, year beyond 30 in Fort Lauderdale.
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For sellers
Pricing a home is a skill. Start with the current competition and recent closed sales.
39.5% of active single-family houses listings in Boca Raton have a recorded asking price below their original list price.
The data comes from the segment and recorded fields available in PBP Real Estate's BeachesMLS feed, as of the date shown. Gia Freer, Broker of Record, turns comparable sales and current competition into one written pricing opinion for your home, with the reasoning, before it goes live.
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