How Much Does It Cost to Live In West Palm Beach, FL?
West Palm Beach is a mid-sized city (counting around 100,000 residents) in South Florida.
The cost of living here is high, since Florida in general, and South Florida in particular, are expensive.
However, salary levels are commensurately high in most areas.
West Palm Beach is a very livable city – it’s large enough so most things you want are here, but still has something of a small town, intimate feel.
You don’t have to be rich to live here, but you’re not going to pay less than 1500$ for three bedrooms a month, whether purchased or rented unless you don’t want to live in a bad area.
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
Food has gotten pretty diverse and of good quality, and there are lots of places to shop for quality food.
A decent dinner for two can be found cheap, but you have to dig around.
West Palm Beach truly offers many restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops scattered around the city that satisfy every taste bud and wallet, you just have to find one that fits your affinities.
MARKETS
In West Palm Beach you can count on farmer’s markets, where you can buy a truckload of fresh fruits and veggies at a lower price, too.
The main stores in West Palm Beach 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
Taxis are generally expensive in West Palm Beach, but available at almost any time and place.
Generally, having your own car is your best bet, since public transport is very badly organized, and doesn’t cover all parts of the city, to say the least.
On top of that, parking is easy and cheap (mostly free) everywhere, even downtown.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities aren’t too expensive in West Palm Beach: for an apartment of 85m2 your basic utilities including water, gas, garbage services, and electricity, a monthly bill will be around 190$.
Florida gets pretty hot so expect to run your AC constantly which will probably double your monthly bills.
Also, some renters include water usage while some don’t so, by all means, double-check!
SPORTS & LEISURE
There are so many options for you in West Palm Beach if you want to exercise and stay fit!
There are many parks, biking trails, and paths, but there are also gyms that are very cheap.
A membership at a gym or a fitness club is around 40$, which is unbelievably affordable.
Entertainment can get pricey, though.
A movie for two with snacks can cost around 30$-40$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
There are many downtown areas, malls, the county seat, and many, many shopping areas (like CityPlace and Clematis) where you can satisfy your shopaholic habits.
CityPlace, two recently-renovated blocks in downtown West Palm that now features dozens of high-end shops, is perfect for shopping.
The prices are more or less the same as everywhere: jeans are around 50$ and running shoes are around 87$.
RENT PER MONTH
The apartments in West Palm Beach range from very expensive to luxury with very small gaps in between.
If you’re looking for a decent area that has a low to no crime rate, you are looking at 2,225.00$ a month to rent.
Most one-bedroom one-bathroom apartments start at 1500$, which is unbelievably expensive.
Cost of Living Averages Table for West Palm Beach, FL
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $15.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $6.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $2.46 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.11 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $3.63 |
| Eggs (12) | $7.00 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.00 |
| Monthly Pass | $70.00 |
| Gasoline | $0.9 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $194.01 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $70.93 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $40.0 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $15.00 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $15.0 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $51.67 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $31.67 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $87.8 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $2225.00 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1610.10 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $3933.33 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in West Palm Beach, FL?
Just look at those renting prices: it’s really no wonder that rent takes up more than 5035% of one’s entire salary.
Food is definitely the second biggest expense for anyone living in West Palm Beach – though this is the situation in most countries around the world.
Food is an everyday necessity and when it’s not cheap, it amounts to a high monthly expense.
Other significant expenses for the people of West Palm Beach are restaurants (a very high percentage) and transportation, while clothing and shoes draw the least amount of money from them.
Average Costs Breakdown
West Palm Beach, FL: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
There are tons of software-development jobs, largely within marketing and mobile gaming.
West Palm Beach relies, however, on tourism for its jobs, but Palm Beach County is home to more than 50 corporate headquarters, so it could be the perfect place to grow your career.
An average monthly salary in West Palm Beach is around 4500$ which is a high number, and absolutely enough for a comfortable life in this city.
This salary is, actually, typical of only the known, expensive, and populated cities in America.
The usual minimum wage is around 1400$ which is a very decent minimum wage and most people can earn for a normal life.
West Palm Beach Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: West Palm Beach Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
