Cost of Living Forum
AB
AstoriaLocal @astorialocal
Joined: 2 years ago
Oct 24, 2022 07:13 AM
Cost of Living in Astoria for a Long-Time Resident
Hi everyone, I’ve lived in Astoria for over 15 years now, but I’m starting to feel the pinch with rising costs. I’d love to get an updated perspective on what people are currently paying for major expenses like housing, groceries, transportation, utilities, healthcare, and entertainment.
I’m a single guy in my 40s, living alone in a 1-bedroom apartment near downtown. I work a decent office job and try to live relatively frugally, cooking at home often and not going too crazy with discretionary spending. But it seems like every year, more of my paycheck goes toward unavoidable costs.
What have your experiences been? I’m curious to hear from people in different life situations – singles, families, retirees, renters, homeowners, etc. Let me know the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to the cost of living here in Astoria these days. Thanks in advance for any insights you can provide!
Posts: 20
10 Replies
FoodieFamily @foodiefamily
Joined: 7 months ago
Mar 13, 2024 02:56 AM
For a family of four, we spend quite a bit on groceries, probably around $800-$1000 per month. Eating out even at inexpensive restaurants adds up quickly with multiple kids. Housing is also a major expense – we pay $2600 for a decent 3-bedroom place outside the city center. Utilities around $250/month. Two cars is costly with insurance, gas, maintenance. Entertainment is pricey too with movies, activities for the kids, etc. Overall it’s not a cheap place to live, but we make it work by budgeting carefully and minimizing luxuries.
Posts: 8
SingleYuppie @singleyuppie
Joined: 2 years ago
Aug 25, 2023 10:34 PM
As a single professional, Astoria can be pretty pricey especially for housing and nightlife/entertainment. I pay $2300 for my 1-bed downtown, which is a lot but the convenience is worth it for me. Restaurants and bars aren’t cheap if you go out regularly. I probably spend $500-600/month just on dining out, drinks, movies, etc. Groceries $300-400. Other costs like a gym membership, utilities, car expenses all add up too. All in all I’m paying a premium to live and play in the heart of the city, but I accept that tradeoff for now while I’m young(ish) and child-free.
Posts: 10
RetiredOnABudget @retiredonabudget
Joined: 8 months ago
Nov 25, 2023 11:39 AM
My spouse and I are retired and living pretty frugally on a fixed income, so Astoria isn’t the cheapest place for sure. Our mortgage is paid off, which is a huge help. Biggest expenses are utilities ($200/month), groceries ($500-600), gas and insurance for one car ($300), healthcare ($700 for supplemental insurance and out-of-pocket costs). We don’t go out for entertainment much besides occasional dinners and movies ($100/month). It’s manageable for us but we have to stick to a tight budget. The high cost of living is the main downside of Astoria in retirement in my opinion.
Posts: 13
AnApartmentRenter @anapartmentrenter
Joined: 2 years ago
Mar 12, 2024 09:23 AM
Rents keep climbing and it’s rough out there, even for just a basic 1-bedroom like I have. I’m paying $1800 outside downtown, and that’s one of the more affordable options I could find. On top of that, utilities around $150, groceries $300-400. I don’t have a car so I take public transit ($132 for a monthly pass) or rideshares occasionally. Nightlife/entertainment is maybe $200 per month going out sometimes but not too crazy. It adds up even without any big extravagances. The rental market is just brutal in Astoria lately.
Posts: 19
TheCommuter @thecommuter
Joined: 13 months ago
Jun 06, 2023 09:16 AM
My biggest expense is definitely the insane cost of gas and tolls driving into Astoria for work every day. I easily spend $400+ per month on transportation alone, and that’s not even counting maintenance and insurance for my car. Housing is a bit more reasonable in the suburbs where I live, around $2200 for a 3-bed townhome. Utilities $250, groceries $700 for a family of 4. We don’t go out for entertainment much to save money. It’s not easy but we make certain sacrifices to have a job in Astoria while living in a lower cost-of-living area nearby.
Posts: 6
HealthNutFoodie @healthnutfoodie
Joined: 8 months ago
Apr 11, 2024 02:21 AM
As someone who really prioritizes healthy, organic food and an active lifestyle, Astoria can be quite expensive in that regard. I easily spend $800+ per month on groceries buying high-quality produce, meat, dairy, etc. And things like a gym membership, yoga classes, outdoor activities add up quickly as well – maybe $300 per month for that recreational stuff. Housing isn’t cheap either at $2100 for a nice 1-bed. But to me it’s worth it to invest in my wellness without cutting too many corners. The amazing variety of healthy restaurants in Astoria helps balance out the high food costs a bit too.
Posts: 11
BrokeStudent @brokestudent
Joined: 2 years ago
May 08, 2023 05:32 PM
Being a student in Astoria is a constant struggle with the outrageous cost of living. I’m getting by with a small studio for $1500 (which still feels overly expensive to me), plus around $600 for groceries, utilities, etc. each month. I don’t have a car and rely fully on public transportation with a $132 pass. Can’t afford much in terms of entertainment or dining out at all. Thank goodness for my part-time jobs because even with assistance, the expenses are barely manageable. I’ll be pretty happy to leave Astoria once I finish my degree!
Posts: 14
StartupHustle @startuphustle
Joined: 2 years ago
Jun 25, 2023 12:31 PM
As someone trying to get a new business off the ground, I’ve had to get really scrappy to make living in Astoria work on an inconsistent income. I drive for rideshare apps occasionally to help pay the bills. Live with 3 roommates in a 3-bedroom ($800 for my rent portion). Keep all other costs as low as possible – grocery budget $200/month, no car, very little leisure spending. It’s not comfortable by any means but I’m hustling hard to make it until my startup becomes profitable. Astoria is expensive but the connections and startup community are irreplaceable for my ambitions.
Posts: 5
ConstructionWorker @constructionworker
Joined: 2 years ago
Jul 28, 2023 10:13 AM
I do alright as a construction worker in Astoria – the pay is decent to afford a pretty basic middle-class lifestyle here. Rent is my biggest expense at $2400 for a modest 2-bedroom. Groceries around $600. Transportation is reasonable with a $132 monthly transit pass to get to worksites, plus $200 or so in gas/insurance for a used truck. Don’t spend too much on entertainment besides watching sports at a local bar occasionally. It’s not cheap by any means but I make enough to get by comfortably without too much struggle in Astoria.
Posts: 9
DoubleIncomeDinks @doubleincomedinks
Joined: 2 years ago
Mar 05, 2023 08:41 AM
My wife and I are both professionals with good corporate jobs, which helps a lot to manage Astoria’s high cost of living as DINKs (double income, no kids). We own a condo that we purchased a few years ago – mortgage around $2800. Two car payments, insurance, etc. $1000 total for transportation. Dine out frequently which is roughly $1000/month. Then other costs like $500 groceries, $400 utilities, $300 entertainment. It adds up quickly for sure, but our dual incomes in the six figures make it manageable while allowing us to enjoy a comfortable city lifestyle and save a decent amount too.
Posts: 20
Detailed Price Insights of Abilene, TX
- Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant – 15.00 $
- Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course – 75.00 $
- McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) – 6.00 $
- Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) – 5.00 $
- Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) – 8.00 $
- Cappuccino (regular) – 2.50 $
- Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) – 1.75 $
- Water (0.33 liter bottle) – 2.50 $
- Milk (regular), (1 liter) – 1.08 $
- Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) – 3.55 $
- Rice (white), (1kg) – 2.35 $
- Eggs (regular) (12) – 2.99 $
- Local Cheese (1kg) – 11.02 $
- Chicken Fillets (1kg) – 7.71 $
- Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) – 9.92 $
- Apples (1kg) – 2.74 $
- Banana (1kg) – 1.86 $
- Oranges (1kg) – 2.93 $
- Tomato (1kg) – 3.08 $
- Potato (1kg) – 1.65 $
- Onion (1kg) – 1.93 $
- Lettuce (1 head) – 1.50 $
- Water (1.5 liter bottle) – 1.50 $
- Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) – 18.00 $
- Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) – 1.73 $
- Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) – 3.50 $
- Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) – 16.00 $
- One-way Ticket (Local Transport) – 2.90 $
- Monthly Pass (Regular Price) – 132.00 $
- Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) – 3.00 $
- Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) – 2.17 $
- Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) – 42.00 $
- Gasoline (1 liter) – 0.95 $
- Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) – 25,343.00 $
- Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) – 23,945.57 $
- Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment – 100.00 $
- Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data – 37.00 $
- Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) – 30.00 $
- Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat – 17.50 $
- Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child – 1,500.00 $
- International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child – 19,000.00 $
- 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) – 25.00 $
- 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, …) – 20.00 $
- 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) – 30.00 $
- 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes – 50.00 $
- Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre – 2,300.00 $
- Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre – 1,800.00 $
- Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre – 3,700.00 $
- Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre – 2,600.00 $
- Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate – 6.45
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