I'm down here in south florida and use a lot of porcelain tile. 

My first approach is to do porcelain 18x18 at about 1.59 Sq ft.  

I purchased porcelain tile throughout all 3 units, at $1.78/SF (just the cost of the tile) as I figured that would hold up better than laminate, but I definitely would have saved some on laminate.  

And this using a 203K FHA loan in the brutal market of Boston, on the east side of the Port Norfolk bay area.Facts & Numbers:2 beds & 2 baths on each of the 3 unitsPurchased for $655K @ 5% down-payment and a generous dose of 203K closing feesTaken a 30K cushion for the 203K streamlined rehabLocked in 4.25% @ 30 year interest rateAppraised at 750KThe numbers are certainly not the exquisite definition of what a ground-breaking deal stands for, but they certainly fare decently well in this seller's market where cash investors rule, the inventory is constantly challenged and most properties are getting sold for over asking price, taking advantage of the current interest rates, the Everett Casino construction, and a few other speculative but pragmatic plays.Just like most everyone else that was not raised or surrounded by real estate professionals from a young age, this deal was pretty much riddled with small mistakes here and there, from neglecting the fire department smoke and carbon detector regulations, being over-optimistic on the underwriting guidelines, underestimating the cost opportunity due to all sorts of processing delays, and you name it.Currently free from tenants, the expectation is to add value by rehabilitating the under-developed basement, adding 2nd and 3rd floor balcony decks, and a variety of practical and aesthetic fixes.

The only problem I've encountered is with certain metals leaving marks on the porcelain.

There's really great looking porcelain tile out there for $1.50/sf.

I bought 6x6 porcelain (better product than ceramic) for 22 cents apiece recently.

Also, consider using a porcelain tile instead of ceramic. 

How hard is it to tile a living room in the porcelain wood tile.

Use tans, darker grout as posible, use grout sealer to prevent stains, and use PORCELAIN tile just make sure your patient or keep eyes open for sales on it and store it away when under 2 an sf.