Cost of Living Forum

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ApopkaResident92 @apopkaresident92
Joined: 2 years ago
May 02, 2023 01:56 PM

Cost of Living in Apopka for a Long-Time Resident

Hi everyone, I’ve lived in Apopka for over 20 years and have seen the cost of living change significantly during that time. I’m considering a job opportunity in another city and want to get your thoughts on how Apopka’s expenses compare these days.

I’m a single parent with a teenage daughter, and we currently live in a 2-bedroom apartment outside the city center. My main expenses are housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and occasional entertainment like movies or dining out. I’d love to hear from others about what they typically spend on major costs like rent, gas, healthcare, childcare (if applicable), and any money-saving tips for getting by in Apopka. Thanks in advance for sharing your insights and experiences!

Posts: 22

10 Replies

FLNativeMom @flnativemom
Joined: 2 years ago
Nov 21, 2023 08:04 PM
As a lifelong Floridian raising two kids in Apopka, I can say the cost of living here is relatively affordable compared to some other areas, but it’s been creeping up over the years. Housing is one of the bigger expenses – we pay around $1,600 for a 3-bed/2-bath apartment just outside the center. Groceries for a family of 4 run us $600-$800 per month if we’re careful. Utilities like electric, water, internet average $300ish. Entertainment is pricey if you want to go out often – $50-$60 for a casual restaurant meal for 4. Gas is over $4/gallon right now. Overall, I’d say a family needs at least $5k/month after taxes to live comfortably without too many luxuries.
Posts: 19
ThriftyApopkaGuy @thriftyapopkaguy
Joined: 18 days ago
May 07, 2024 12:33 PM
For a single person, Apopka can be quite affordable if you’re smart about expenses. I pay $950 for a nice 1-bed apartment close to downtown. Groceries run me $200-$300/month by sticking to basics and avoiding eating out too much (those restaurant prices are no joke!). Utilities like electric, internet, etc. are around $150 total. I drive a used car and spend maybe $120/month on gas getting around town. Healthcare through my job is decent at $200/month for the premium. Entertainment is where costs can add up – a movie is $15 and bars get pricey. But overall, I live comfortably on around $2,500-$3,000 per month in Apopka.
Posts: 13
GrowingFamilyGuy @growingfamilyguy
Joined: 7 months ago
Feb 28, 2024 12:11 PM
With a wife and two young kids, Apopka isn’t the cheapest place to raise a family, but it’s still relatively affordable compared to the bigger cities. Our 3-bedroom townhouse runs $1,900/month, and daycare for two kids is a brutal $1,800/month (that one really stings). Groceries for our family of 4 are $800-$1,000. Add utilities around $300, gas $250, healthcare premiums through work $500…we’re looking at over $5,000 in basic monthly expenses before any entertainment, clothing, etc. The cost of living with kids is no joke! We make it work on a household income of around $7,500/month take-home, but Apopka is getting pricier each year.
Posts: 19
EmptyNester_Apopka @emptynester_apopka
Joined: 9 months ago
Feb 21, 2024 10:42 PM
Now that my kids are grown and out of the house, the cost of living in Apopka has become much more reasonable. My wife and I own our 3-bed/2-bath house outright (though prices have skyrocketed to $400k+ for similar homes today). Outside of utilities around $250/month, groceries $400, gas $120, healthcare $400…our recurring costs are pretty low at $1,500-$1,800ish per month. We go out occasionally but entertainment is pretty cheap – $50 for a nice meal, $10 movie tickets. Apopka has definitely gotten more expensive over the decades, but it’s still pretty affordable for two relatively frugal retirees.
Posts: 5
Apopka_Millennial @apopka_millennial
Joined: 2 years ago
Mar 23, 2023 03:29 PM
As a millennial renting in Apopka, costs can be tight even with a decent job. I pay $1,300 for a modern 1-bed apartment in a newer complex. Add utilities $150, internet $75, gas $120, groceries $300, healthcare premium $250…that’s already $2,200 before any entertainment, dating, etc. Eating out semi-regularly can easily add $300+ per month. I make around $3,800 take-home, so over half goes to just basic expenses. Homeownership feels light years away with today’s prices! Apopka is more affordable than the big cities, but the cost of living has definitely increased a lot in recent years.
Posts: 19
NewToApopka_Family @newtoapopka_family
Joined: 2 months ago
Mar 30, 2024 09:15 AM
We just relocated to Apopka from out-of-state, so I’ll share my initial impressions on costs. For a nice 3-bed/2-bath house rental around $2,300/month, plus utilities $300, internet $80, groceries for a family of 5 around $1,000, gas $300, healthcare premiums through my job $700…our recurring expenses are roughly $4,700 before entertainment, kid activities, etc. The rental market seems a bit overheated, but otherwise Apopka feels very reasonably priced for a family compared to where we came from. The cost of living isn’t cheap, but it seems quite livable, especially with a good dual-income household.
Posts: 13
Apopka_SmallBiz_Owner @apopka_smallbiz_owner
Joined: 2 years ago
Aug 28, 2023 06:59 AM
As a small business owner in Apopka, I’ll provide a perspective on operating costs too. Commercial rent for my shop space is about $3,000/month. Utilities run $500-$600. Payroll for a few employees is around $7,000/month. General liability insurance, $300/month. Advertising/marketing, $800. Those are just some of the big line items – it’s not cheap running a business! Housing is also pricey – I pay $2,100 for a modest 4-bed house for my family. Overall though, Apopka has been a good location with solid demand and living costs that are still semi-reasonable compared to the major metro areas.
Posts: 14
RichApopkaResident @richapopkaresident
Joined: 12 months ago
Sep 06, 2023 04:06 AM
I’ll be honest, my household income is well into the 6 figures, so the cost of living feels very manageable to me in Apopka. We live in a 5-bed, 4-bath house in a nice neighborhood that runs $3,800/month. Add utilities around $500, lawn service $200, groceries maybe $1,000 for our family of 5, gas $400, healthcare premiums $800 through my employer…our recurring costs are probably $6,700ish not including extras like entertainment, travel, etc. It’s definitely pricey, but very doable with our income. Apopka has most amenities you’d want while still being relatively affordable compared to the larger cities in Florida.
Posts: 7
Budget_Apopka_Single @budget_apopka_single
Joined: 12 months ago
Nov 14, 2023 07:31 PM
For a single person like myself living in Apopka on a tighter budget, it takes some serious money management. I pay $850 for a barebones studio apartment. Utilities around $100. Groceries $150-$200 eating very frugally. Bus pass $50. Healthcare through Medicaid is free for now. That’s already over $1,200 before any entertainment, clothing, etc. Any major emergency would be disastrous financially. It’s do-able for now with my $1,800/month take-home pay from serving jobs, but there’s almost no breathing room. The cost of living in Apopka is manageable for low incomes, but just barely.
Posts: 2
Apopka_FLRetired_Couple @apopka_flretired_couple
Joined: 2 years ago
Apr 16, 2023 08:01 PM
As retired seniors in Apopka, the cost of living feels quite reasonable as long as you own your home outright and have decent retirement income coming in. Our main expenses are property taxes around $300/month, utilities $200, groceries $500, gas $100, healthcare premiums $250. So maybe $1,500 in total recurring costs. We mostly just do low-cost local activities, an occasional meal out. Overall, Apopka has been an affordable place for us to enjoy our retirement years while having access to the amenities we need without the premium prices of Orlando proper.
Posts: 15

Detailed Price Insights of Abilene, TX

  • Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant – 20.00 $
  • Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course – 85.00 $
  • McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) – 10.00 $
  • Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) – 6.75 $
  • Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) – 8.00 $
  • Cappuccino (regular) – 4.91 $
  • Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) – 2.81 $
  • Water (0.33 liter bottle) – 2.54 $
  • Milk (regular), (1 liter) – 1.18 $
  • Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) – 3.75 $
  • Rice (white), (1kg) – 4.51 $
  • Eggs (regular) (12) – 3.92 $
  • Local Cheese (1kg) – 11.32 $
  • Chicken Fillets (1kg) – 11.34 $
  • Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) – 14.65 $
  • Apples (1kg) – 5.55 $
  • Banana (1kg) – 1.83 $
  • Oranges (1kg) – 5.30 $
  • Tomato (1kg) – 4.24 $
  • Potato (1kg) – 2.83 $
  • Onion (1kg) – 2.86 $
  • Lettuce (1 head) – 2.08 $
  • Water (1.5 liter bottle) – 2.18 $
  • Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) – 15.00 $
  • Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) – 1.80 $
  • Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) – 3.06 $
  • Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) – 8.00 $
  • Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) – 2.90 $
  • Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) – 1.49 $
  • Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) – 30.00 $
  • Gasoline (1 liter) – 0.91 $
  • Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) – 26,763.00 $
  • Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) – 25,182.79 $
  • Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment – 188.49 $
  • Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data – 65.56 $
  • Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) – 74.42 $
  • Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult – 35.00 $
  • Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat – 14.75 $
  • Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child – 1,166.67 $
  • International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child – 5,250.00 $
  • 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) – 53.67 $
  • 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, …) – 39.83 $
  • 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) – 99.00 $
  • 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes – 119.00 $
  • Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate – 6.50
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