How Much Does It Cost to Live In Jacksonville, FL?
Jacksonville is situated on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida.
It is the most populous city in Florida measured by the number of residents, but not only that: Jacksonville covers an enormous area, and, when it comes to sole area, it is the largest country in the continental USA.
The best of Southern culture is here: the courtly personalities, the love of tradition, and gracious living.
Downtown does not have the attractions of other large cities.
The cost of living is still pretty reasonable unless you live in a gated community, especially in the outlying counties.
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
Jacksonville is also home to a diverse array of restaurants, showcasing various different styles of cuisine from the regional United States and across the globe.
The prices are reasonable, with inexpensive restaurants costing around 18$ per meal, and you can always count on the chain of fast food restaurants for a good, cheap meal.
MARKETS
The main stores in Jacksonville are the popular Publix grocery stores and two Costco stores.
You’ll find most commodities: canned goods, dry goods, milk, butter, eggs, etc. in every grocery store around town.
But if you really want to save some money on food, your best bet is to teach yourself to be a good cook.
TRANSPORTATION
Unless you want to spend a lot of time waiting for buses, a car is a must to fully experience Jacksonville: to say the least, public transportation in Jacksonville is not convenient, mostly due to its size.
The bus system isn’t set up to cover all areas of the city and you must plan ahead since the waiting time is around 30 minutes to an hour.
Taxi services are available but, again, expensive due to the size of the city.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
The biggest expense in Jacksonville is power during summer. During June, July and August expect a 400$ bill.
For a bit larger apartment, of about 85m2, during other months, all basic utilities like heating, cooling, electricity, and gas will cost you around 150$.
SPORTS & LEISURE
When it comes to fitness and sports, you should know that practicing sports or going to the gym in Jacksonville isn’t too expensive.
A gym or a fitness club membership will cost you around 30$, while going to the cinema and enjoying some movie time is a bit more expensive than what is the norm.
Prepare to pay 11$ per ticket.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Here, there are many upscale dining and shopping opportunities like The Landing – a downtown shopping district located along the St. Johns River.
It’s a nice place to sit, snack, and do some people-watching.
The prices are reasonable and expected for an American city: quality jeans will cost you only around 60$, and you won’t find any good running sneakers without cashing out close to 85$.
RENT PER MONTH
The cost of housing is a little higher than usual, though it really depends on where you want to rent your apartment and how big it’s going to be.
If you intend to rent something in the center of Jacksonville, you will have to pay around 1200$ and upwards for a small apartment.
A spacious apartment or a house will cost you from 1500$ and upwards.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Jacksonville, FL
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $18.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $5.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.81 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.12 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $3.21 |
| Eggs (12) | $3.89 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.75 |
| Monthly Pass | $47.50 |
| Gasoline | $0.90 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $151.85 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $68.41 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $28.66 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $8.18 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $14 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $59.60 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $40.33 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $86.92 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1512.90 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1244.70 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2728.50 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Jacksonville, FL?
As expected, food is definitely the biggest expense for anyone living in Jacksonville – though this is the situation in most countries around the world.
The next high expense for an average person living in this city is rent, with high prices of rooms and apartments in the cities and outside of them alike.
Don’t forget other significant expenses for the people that live here, like restaurants and transportation.
Clothing and shoes draw the least amount of money from the citizens of Jacksonville.
Average Costs Breakdown
Jacksonville, FL: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
It does not have many industrial-type jobs or union jobs. There are a good number of jobs in traditionally high-paying industries like banking and insurance.
As for the paychecks, that entry-level salary won’t be enough for a luxurious holiday by the seaside, so it’s good to find ways to stretch your paycheck. But Jacksonville’s is generally a solid ground for a decent job.
On average, Jacksonville is 4% cheaper than Orlando, meaning a $50,000 salary could decrease to $47,000.
The average monthly net salary in Jacksonville is around 4500$ while minimum wages move along the $ 1500$.
Jacksonville Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Jacksonville Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
