Cost of Living

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by Ginger
Still.. how are all you college kids affording $1000/ month apartments?!?!?!

A nice combination of parental support and graduate fellowships. I do what I can. I figure it's better for me to be closer to school and not have to commute than have a cheaper rent, but have an hour or more commute. I don't pay utilities--just internet. But, if I decide not to live here after grad school, I'll probably move somewhere else with more of an environmentalist ethic.

Okay, for my hometown in Florida (smallish town, right on the Gulf):

Average 1-bedroom: $650
Average "starter" house (1200 sq ft): $85,000
Average "established house" (2500 sq ft): $200K, expect to pay $450+ if you want it on the water or on the golf courses.
Average Income: The military salaries bring it down, so I'd say $55,000.

Realtor.com has a handy-dandy little cost-of-living calculator that shows you what you would need to make in X town making what you would in Y town.