I lived in Phoenix but didn't like it too much. That was a while ago though. I don't like the desert climate and that is the real issue. The Bottos are out there. They must like it. ;-)
Ahhh, yeah. If you are looking for cheap and tropical, Cocoa Beach is a good call. It's a pretty small town. You might also try the Sarasota area or some of the surrounding smaller towns. Sarasota is a sweet little town and you could probably find something reasonably priced in that area.
I prefer the West Coast of Florida until you get South of West Palm and then the East coast rules.