How Much Does It Cost to Live In Fort Myers, FL?
Fort Myers is a fast-growing town with great weather, entertainment, and a casual feel of a small city in Southwest Florida.
The city is not a great place for employment if you’re younger and want a professional-level job – there are not many of those.
However, a great thing about Fort Myers is that it’s also at a reasonable driving distance from other major Florida cities – Miami, Tampa, Orlando
The cost of living is high in Fort Myers in comparison to the wages of the locals.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
There are many restaurants in Fort Myers.
You could go to a new restaurant every night for a year if you wanted to, and you’d still find more restaurants where you haven’t been.
Food can be quite expensive if you eat at a restaurant.
A meal for two at a mid-range restaurant will cost you just around 65$.
MARKETS
Cooking by yourself and buying groceries can also be a great problem if you have a limited budget, but if you have a shopping list, and you’re smart about your groceries, following all the daily sales in regular American supermarket stores – then you can save a bunch of money.
TRANSPORTATION
The near-tropical climate is perfect for bicycling, and Fort Myers is a very bicycle-friendly city.
There are lots of bike trails throughout the city for biking but some of them require crossing fairly dangerous, busy intersections.
This can save you a lot of money you would otherwise spend on public transport.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Like in most other American cities, utilities aren’t too expensive in Fort Myers, though it does depend on the amount of electricity you use and on the size of your apartment.
For example, for a bit larger apartment, of about 85m2, all basic utilities like heating, cooling, electricity and gas will cost you around 130$.
SPORTS & LEISURE
There are lots of sports and fishing opportunities and some more serious ones like boating, kayaking, etc. which can help you maintain your fit figure without going to a gym.
However, if that’s your wish, a gym or a fitness club membership will cost you around 48.00$, while going to the cinema and enjoying some movie time has never been more expensive.
Prepare to pay a whopping 13$ per ticket.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Gulf Coast Town Center functions as a popular spot for both college students and professionals and shopping is great.
There are actually malls and shopping centers everywhere in Fort Myers.
Quality jeans will cost you around 40$, and you won’t find any good running sneakers without cashing out close to 63$.
RENT PER MONTH
The cost of apartments varies across the country, but if you intend to rent something in the center of Fort Myers, you will have to pay around 1700$ and upwards for a small apartment.
A spacious apartment or a house will cost you 2000.00$ and upwards, and if you’re looking for something outside of the center, the price will drop to around 1700$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Fort Myers, FL
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $15.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $4.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.96 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.15 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $3.75 |
| Eggs (12) | $4.81 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.12 |
| Monthly Pass | $30.00 |
| Gasoline | $0.89 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $129.28 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $67.90 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $48.00 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $3.75 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $13.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $39.00 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $25.00 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $63.1 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1760.00 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1771.67 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2966.67 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Fort Myers, FL?
Food is definitely the biggest expense for anyone living in Fort Myers – though this is the situation in most countries and cities around the world.
Food is an everyday necessity and when it’s not cheap, it amounts to a high monthly expense.
The second highest expense for an average person living in Fort Myers is rent, with very high prices of apartments in the cities and outside of them alike.
Other significant expenses for the people of Florida in this city are restaurants and transportation, while clothing and shoes draw the least amount of money from them.
Average Costs Breakdown
Fort Myers, FL: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
The people of Florida living in this city have relatively reasonable salaries and working conditions.
The minimum wage is around 1400$ which is a decent minimum wage (it has recently been raised to this amount) and most people can earn for a normal life.
An average monthly salary in Fort Myers is well above 3200$ which is absolutely enough for a comfortable life in this city.
If you’re planning on visiting this city and staying a while, count on bringing in at least 2000$ for a month.
Fort Myers Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Fort Myers Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
