Day to day costs of staying in a Florida holiday home or living in an apartment or villa in Florida
Although buying a luxury villa in Florida is extremely affordable compared with UK property prices, not everything in America’s Sunshine State is cheap. Low petrol prices are certainly a bonus for anyone enjoying excursions from their Florida holiday home, and bargain hunters love shopping in Orlando, Miami and other big city centres. But some everyday items – especially food – can be more expensive than in the UK.
Staying in a Florida holiday home – buying food and drinks
Whether you are living more-or-less permanently in your apartment or villa in Florida or are taking a well-earned rest in a Florida holiday home, you are sure to need to pop to the shops for some everyday items. As you soon discover, weekly grocery shopping in Orlando or any of the state’s major cities means a visit to one of the vast local grocery stores. Publix is the biggest chain in Florida (it has over 640 stores), Walmart has over 100, and Albertsons is dominant in Orlando and Tampa. Here are some typical prices for everyday items:
12 large eggs $1
8oz instant coffee $4.49
8oz butter $3.19
1lb brisket of beef $5.79
1lb pork sausages $4.19
1lb potatoes $2.50
2 pints semi skimmed milk $2.30
33cl beer $1.30
1lb Granny Smith apples $1.99
500g cornflakes $3.49
8oz cheddar cheese $2.70
Bottle of good Californian table wine, $9.95
Your apartment or villa in Florida – going out or staying in
Anyone taking a break in a Florida holiday home soon discovers this is an outdoors kind of place. Here some costs that might be encountered when out and about, perhaps when out shopping in Orlando or even enjoying a lazy evening at home in your apartment or villa in Florida.
Regular coffee in café $1.45
Regular iced tea in café $1.45
Regular cappuccino in café $2.75
Tortilla snack with bread in café $9.50
Three-course dinner in good but not fancy restaurant, for two, $35-$45, excl. tip.
Good bottle of wine with meal $32
Taxi, 4-mile trip $10
Cinema ticket $8.50-$10.50
Theatre ticket $15-$65
16” pizza, home delivered, $12.95
Other everyday shopping in Orlando, Miami and major visitor destinations
Clothes and household appliances are usually good value in Florida. Other household items are often similarly priced to the UK.
350 ml shampoo $3.99
Deodorant 50ml, $4.09
500ml washing up liquid $2.99
New release cd $19
Annual household costs for apartments and villas in Florida
While any Brits enjoying their Florida holiday home or living more-or-less permanently in their own apartment or villa in Florida will not be paying central heating bills back home, the cost of air-conditioning in the hottest months can soon eliminate any savings. The level of costs depend greatly on the age of the system, and the way you use it, as can be seen by the following genuine cases
750 sq ft apartment for single, northeast central: $68 per month1600 sq ft renovated villa in Florida’s south, family of three: $300 per month2450 sq ft one-year-old villa in Florida’s central region, two people: $120 per month
There is no television licence to pay, but watching the box doesn’t necessarily come cheaply, unless you calculate it by the number of channels available! Internet charges are keen. Free local telephone calls are the norm, but watch out for the cost of international calls if you regularly phone the UK from your Florida holiday home.
Standard cable tv, 70 channels $48.49 per monthBroadband internet $23 per monthInclusive digital package of cable tv, broadband, and phone (local and national) from $135 per month
Cost of driving to and from your Florida holiday home
Motoring works out considerably less expensive in Florida than in Britain thanks to indecently cheap petrol and diesel! However, the price can fluctuate dramatically. For example, in August 2006 the price of a gallon of unleaded “regular gas” petrol reached $3; by October it was down to an average of about $2.30.
The price you pay also depends on the location of your apartment or villa in Florida. If, for example, you set out from Brooksville to do some serious shopping in Orlando, you would pay $2.09 per gallon. However, if you set off from your Florida holiday home in Naples on an alligator spotting expedition to the Everglades, you would be paying a much heftier $2.79 per gallon. Before setting out on a long car journey from your apartment or villa in Florida, you can check current prices on www.floridastategasprices.com.
