How Much Does It Cost to Live In Tallahassee, FL?
Tallahassee is the capital city of Florida, the United States.
For a mid-sized town, it has a lot of activities that won’t empty your wallet thanks to a large university presence.
The temperate climate allows a lot of outdoor activities, and it’s, in general, a pretty safe city, with few neighborhoods being problematic.
The truly great thing about this city is that you’re maybe an hour away from the beach at any time, Georgia isn’t very far, and there’s nature 15-20 minutes away in any direction.
The cost of living is lower than in other cities in Florida.
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
Like most cities in Florida, Tallahassee offers many restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops scattered around the city.
Here, you can have a gorgeous meal at an inexpensive restaurant for only 11$ which is very cheap!
However, you should still keep in mind that eating out will definitely empty your wallet faster than if you cook for yourself.
MARKETS
In Tallahassee, you can count on a great weekly farmer’s market, where you can buy a truckload of fresh fruits and veggies at a lower price, too.
The main stores in Tallahassee are the regular grocery stores you can find anywhere across the United States.
You’ll find most commodities: canned goods, dry goods, milk, butter, eggs, etc. in every grocery store around town.
TRANSPORTATION
Tallahassee’s public bus system isn’t really well-organized and routes and hours are limited after 7 pm and on Sundays.
To get anywhere other than downtown typically requires at least one transfer.
At least it’s cheap though, with a one-way ticket costing around 1.25$ while a monthly pass is only 38$.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities aren’t too expensive in Tallahassee: for an apartment of 85m2 your basic utilities including water, gas, garbage services, and electricity, a monthly bill will be around 212$.
Florida gets pretty hot so expect to run your AC constantly which will probably double your monthly bills.
Also, some renters include water usage while some don’t so, by all means, double-check!
SPORTS & LEISURE
Tallahassee has beautiful parks, great paths, and a bike trail that’ll take you all the way to the St. Marks lighthouse.
A membership at the gym or a fitness club can’t go by without you cashing out around 27$, which is unbelievably affordable.
As for leisure, those that love going to the movies will have to cash out 14.50$ per person for a cinema ticket.
CLOTHING & SHOES
If you’re into shopping, luckily for you, in Tallahassee you’ll have plenty of options, for example in the Governor’s Square Mall and in charming, quaint shops in downtown Tallahassee.
In the mall, you’ll find all the popular international brands, and the prices are more or less the same as everywhere.
Good jeans will be around 67$ and running sneakers around 93$.
RENT PER MONTH
The apartments in Tallahassee range from very inexpensive to luxury with every price range in between.
If you’re looking for a decent area that has a low to no crime rate, you are looking at 1100$ a month to rent.
Most one-bedroom one-bathroom apartments start at 1500$, which is somewhat affordable.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Tallahassee, FL
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $14.75 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $5.25 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.60 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.25 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $3.99 |
| Eggs (12) | $3.00 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.25 |
| Monthly Pass | $38.00 |
| Gasoline | $0.90 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $212.83 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $53.71 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $27.51 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $25.00 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $14.50 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $67.25 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $27.00 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $93.33 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1500 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1133.33 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2998 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Tallahassee, FL?
Most of the money in Tallahassee gets spent on food and people go and spent huge bulks of money in markets and grocery stores.
You can count on at least 200$ a week going on food if you have a family.
Another one of the biggest expenses is definitely food since it’s really steep in some areas.
However, by American standards, rent in Tallahassee is relatively affordable, which is why it’s the second biggest expense and not the first.
Restaurants and transportation go side by side like in most countries – though transportation is cheap, it’s essential for everyone, every day, and as for the restaurants – they’re the only option for a huge portion of the population.
Average Costs Breakdown
Tallahassee, FL: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Employment is not one of Tallahassee’s better successes.
If you’re in the technology sector, your choices are somewhat better but benefits and job stability are poor.
Tallahassee as a state capital has government as a big sector in employment, yet, the percentages of unemployment are discouraging.
The average monthly net salary is around 4300$ while the minimum wage is around 1400$ which, although low, is enough to lead a relatively comfortable life in Tallahassee, since the cost of living is considerably lower, too.
Tallahassee Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Tallahassee Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
