Tallahassee cost of living (Tampa: rent, home, employment)

[WellShoneMoon]

Is this more than people pay in other parts of Florida?

You seem to be irritated that the city adds the charges for garbage & water onto your electricity bill. If you paid for them separately, would it make any difference?

[iR0cK]

I am not sure what people pay in other parts of Florida. I live in Tallahassee.

The city could give me a different bill for each and it wouldnt matter. The fact is, the prices are high, at least in my opinion. Why do they charge us a "Customer Fee" to have service, then charge us a fee for the service itself? Makes no sense to me...

I should say that I am just starting out on my own and just starting to find out what things cost so please forgive me if this is normal and people pay these types of fees everywhere.

My parents live in Tampa and they tell me that I pay way more than they do and they live in a big house and there are two of them.

[HeartofFlorida]

Originally Posted by WellShoneMoon

Is this more than people pay in other parts of Florida?

You seem to be irritated that the city adds the charges for garbage & water onto your electricity bill. If you paid for them separately, would it make any difference?

Originally Posted by iR0cK

I am not sure what people pay in other parts of Florida. I live in Tallahassee.

The city could give me a different bill for each and it wouldnt matter. The fact is, the prices are high, at least in my opinion. Why do they charge us a "Customer Fee" to have service, then charge us a fee for the service itself? Makes no sense to me...

I should say that I am just starting out on my own and just starting to find out what things cost so please forgive me if this is normal and people pay these types of fees everywhere.

My parents live in Tampa and they tell me that I pay way more than they do and they live in a big house and there are two of them.

I have a couple of friends that use to reside in Tallahassee and now live in South Florida and they brag about how low their bills are. Now, there's a trade off with any situation but the cost of living is broken down on this site. You can disseminate the categories at your leisure. You be the judge.

City---------COL--Median income
Jacksonville: 89.1 $46,312 http://www.city-data.com/city/Jacksonville-Florida.html
Miami: 115.9 $28,999 http://www.city-data.com/city/Miami-Florida.html
Tampa: 95.7 $41,605 http://www.city-data.com/city/Tampa-Florida.html
Orlando: 93.6 $39,881 http://www.city-data.com/city/Orlando-Florida.html
Tallahassee: 90.8 $34,335 http://www.city-data.com/city/Tallahassee-Florida.html
Gainesville 90.4 $27,420 http://www.city-data.com/city/Gainesville-Florida.html
Palm Bay: 90.2 $41,534 http://www.city-data.com/city/Palm-Bay-Florida.html
Lakeland: 87.9 $36,013 http://www.city-data.com/city/Lakeland-Florida.html
Ocala: 86.1 $36,011 http://www.city-data.com/city/Ocala-Florida.html
Pensacola: 86.8 $42,788 http://www.city-data.com/city/Pensacola-Florida.html

[WellShoneMoon]

I have heard, although it may just be people complaining with no factual basis to support their theory, that utilities are higher in Tallahassee than in other parts of the state. That may be true -- I haven't looked it up.

I do know, however, that when we moved to Tallahassee from Miami, our auto insurance bill went down by half. My blood pressure probably dropped, too -- Miami is an angry, scary place, and I'm glad we escaped.

[vinivedivichi]

I have a relative in Tallahassee that pays close to $500 in the summer for utilities. She runs her AC at 79/80 throughout the day and uses candles at night to save on electricity. The utilities there are outrageous.

The city is in charge of the utilities and the entire city government is run by liberal democrats. Unfortunately, the utilities have become another way to distribute wealth - i.e. there are numerous programs to give electricity to lower income families, etc. Wonder who ends up paying for these handouts?

[Dog Star]

So is Tallahassee really not worth it??

[HeartofFlorida]

Originally Posted by Dog Star

So is Tallahassee really not worth it??

It depends on what you're accustomed to and what you're willing to do without by living here.

[WellShoneMoon]

"Worth it" is entirely an individual decision. Wherever you live, you are going to have to make some compromises. You have to decide what is important to you -- what you absolutely can't live without -- and what is less important. Then you find the place that gives you most if not all of your most important things.

Tallahassee is well worth it for a lot of us. We find that the advantages of living here outweigh the disadvantages. But the things I like about living here may not work for you.

Figure out what your "must haves" are, and see if Tallahassee offers them. If not, look elsewhere.

[Dog Star]

Originally Posted by WellShoneMoon

"Worth it" is entirely an individual decision. Wherever you live, you are going to have to make some compromises. You have to decide what is important to you -- what you absolutely can't live without -- and what is less important. Then you find the place that gives you most if not all of your most important things.

Tallahassee is well worth it for a lot of us. We find that the advantages of living here outweigh the disadvantages. But the things I like about living here may not work for you.

Figure out what your "must haves" are, and see if Tallahassee offers them. If not, look elsewhere.

Alright, I'll be a 24 yr old male, no wife or kids, that's just looking to enjoy the country, good weather, and just the product that is Northern Florida: old South combining with modern-day South. Not being real close to any big cities is fine, I don't mind the drive. I guess what my main question is, is that is this a place that's too expensive for a young bachelor such as myself?

[Dog Star]

Originally Posted by HeartofFlorida

It depends on what you're accustomed to and what you're willing to do without by living here.

Again, I guess I'm just curious as to the cost of living. Is it really that expensive, or moreso for bachelors, as compared to families?