[Josh2020]

I was reading other threads and it seems that people say Lakeland is extremely cheaper than the Tampa, Brandon area. But people have also said that Brandon's house prices and cost of living are fairly decent. Is the cost of living ALOT cheaper in Lakeland than Brandon, Tampa area? . I also noticed that many people would travel from Lakeland to Tampa area for work, and I would think that the gas would add up and cost around the same if you lived in the Tampa area.

[Eastern Roamer]

Not only does gas add up, but the wear and tear on your car, the emotional impact on fighting your way through rush hour every day, and the time spent sitting in the car are all quality of life issues that I measure along with cost of living.
I would never commute from Lakeland to Tampa, I wouldn't even want to do Brandon to Tampa unless I worked on the East side or downtown. Alot of jobs are around Westshore or North of there and that is too far.

[Jammie]

I've done comparisons on the St. Petersburg vs. Lakeland areas. One of the best ways you can begin checking is to go to realtor.com and check the housing prices in both areas. That will tell you a lot.

If you're planning on renting, check out sites like apartments.com or rent.com or move.com or apartmentguide.com. That will also give you an idea of differences in rentals. But if you go by graphs and stats, Lakeland does rank at 88% for the cost of living while Tampa ranks at 95%. This being the national average at 100%.

[Out-of-Miami]

Can anyone comment on their typical monthly Lakeland Electric bill? I've read many posts saying how expensive the monthly light bill can be, and I'm surprised. Why is it so expensive??

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Out-of-Miami

Can anyone comment on their typical monthly Lakeland Electric bill? I've read many posts saying how expensive the monthly light bill can be, and I'm surprised. Why is it so expensive??

Not really, because it depends on the size of your house, and what kind of amenities you have, how low you run the ac, do you have a pool etc. Let me just say that I was worried about it, having heard the same as you and I find it only slightly higher than I was paying before. You will also pay your water, sewer, garbage and recycling to Lakeland Electric. The garbage pickup here is FANTASTIC - they pick up twice a week and will take ALL THAT YOU PUT OUT - no extra charge! I love this town!

And taxes and insurance are considerably less than Hillsborough County. Lots of nice homes available for much less as well.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Eastern Roamer

Not only does gas add up, but the wear and tear on your car, the emotional impact on fighting your way through rush hour every day, and the time spent sitting in the car are all quality of life issues that I measure along with cost of living.
I would never commute from Lakeland to Tampa, I wouldn't even want to do Brandon to Tampa unless I worked on the East side or downtown. Alot of jobs are around Westshore or North of there and that is too far.

My hubby commutes to downtown Tampa from south of downtown Lakeland everyday and doesn't mind at all. He says it's a beautiful drive - first on the Polk Parkway, then the newly finished I-4 - takes him about 45 minutes, except on rare occasions when there is a bad accident or something. We like the quality of life here, and that makes it worth it for us.