Cost of Living in Different Parts of the States

[DavidC]

Hey guys.

I'm looking at getting the hell out of Ontario for the coming winter...

I'm thinking of going to either Victoria BC, India, France, Costa Rica, or somewhere warmish (temperate or tropical) in the US.

So I'm curious about the cost of living in different parts of the states...

I'd like to know how much it would cost for an OK apartment (one bedroom, not rat-infested, relatively simple), a week of groceries, and a month of cable internet in different parts of the states.

In Ontario, it costs about $35-$45/month for high-speed internet, about $40-$80 a week for groceries if you don't eat out, and in belleville it costs about $650 for a decent one bedroom, in barrie about $725, and in Whitby about $800.

Any help is appreciated.

I just really hate snow and cold, and I'm looking to travel a bit.

--Dave.

[nothumb]

If you're interested in living in a city in the South you can do so pretty cheaply. If you're interested in a more rural area it's even cheaper.

I would say a college town like Chapel Hill, NC or Athens, GA is a bit cheaper overall than where you're at now. Internet and food are similar but rent is probably 100-150 less (if things haven't changed too much since I lived there).

NT

[newfant]

Yah, I think your best bet is a college town in the southern U.S. I priced a one-bedroom apartment in Gainesville a couple of years ago and it was about $400. Of course, it was very small, but that's pretty cheap.

College towns are great to live in because you can generally find cheap housing and there are hot young honeys running around.

Edited to add: You'll notice that there are a buttload of poker players here from the Northwest. That's because it rains all the time up there and the only thing to do is play poker. There's hardly any I-net poker players from the South because you can actually go outside and go to the beach down there.

[DavidC]

[ QUOTE ]
If you're interested in living in a city in the South you can do so pretty cheaply. If you're interested in a more rural area it's even cheaper.

I would say a college town like Chapel Hill, NC or Athens, GA is a bit cheaper overall than where you're at now. Internet and food are similar but rent is probably 100-150 less (if things haven't changed too much since I lived there).

NT

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks a lot, bud.

As a side note, how many posts do I have to have before I become a "lawnmower repairman"?

/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[LittleOldLady]

Let me recommend New Orleans. The weather is good in the winter, and New Orleans is one of the most interesting cities in North America (maybe the world). Lots of music, nightlife, amazing food, carnival, etc., etc. You can definitely get a small apartment that you would be willing to live in in an OK neighborhood for under $600. For $800 a small apartment would pretty much be a palace.

The food and cable costs would be about the same as in Ontario, but the food would be the best you ever ate if you got into cooking New Orleans style.

I don't know about outside the US, but inside the US, for a young single guy New Orleans is as good as it gets. Unless maybe Vegas....

[BeerMoney]

[ QUOTE ]
Yah, I think your best bet is a college town in the southern U.S. I priced a one-bedroom apartment in Gainesville a couple of years ago and it was about $400. Of course, it was very small, but that's pretty cheap.



[/ QUOTE ]

I pay $350 for a two bedroom in a nice college town in SC. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[nothumb]

[ QUOTE ]
Let me recommend New Orleans. The weather is good in the winter, and New Orleans is one of the most interesting cities in North America (maybe the world). Lots of music, nightlife, amazing food, carnival, etc., etc. You can definitely get a small apartment that you would be willing to live in in an OK neighborhood for under $600. For $800 a small apartment would pretty much be a palace.

The food and cable costs would be about the same as in Ontario, but the food would be the best you ever ate if you got into cooking New Orleans style.

I don't know about outside the US, but inside the US, for a young single guy New Orleans is as good as it gets. Unless maybe Vegas....

[/ QUOTE ]

New Orleans is really cool. You just have to figure out the rough parts pretty quick and stay your white ass the hell out. My brother goes to Tulane and he loves it down there.

NT

[Clarkmeister]

All the Cost of Living info you need can be found at www.google.com (http://www.google.com)

[thabadguy]

I live in india, and i dont particularly like it. I dont know, i go to college in the usa and i like it a lot better there.
Living in a big city in india(i live in bombay) is not gonna be cheap, gettign a decent one bedroom apt in a good area is gonna cost atleast 1k a month.

[ChoicestHops]

As said before, the dirty south is the cheapest. If you go to LA it's gonna be probably $1500 to rent an apartment. Las Vegas has a pretty cheap cost of living, I think apartments run there for about $750.

[DavidC]

[ QUOTE ]
All the Cost of Living info you need can be found at www.google.com (http://www.google.com)

[/ QUOTE ]

Clark, as always, you are wiser than your somewhat silly username would imply. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

And you're definitely right about this.

But then I wouldn't have gotten the New Orleans suggestion, which is truly awesome! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

--Dave.

[DavidC]

[ QUOTE ]
As said before, the dirty south is the cheapest. If you go to LA it's gonna be probably $1500 to rent an apartment. Las Vegas has a pretty cheap cost of living, I think apartments run there for about $750.

[/ QUOTE ]

Silly question, but how the hell do you guys get people to work at McDonald's out there (in LA)... do they bus in from out-of-town? Do they live with like 4 people in a cardboard box? Do they have a really high minimum wage in Cali or something?

--Dave.

[touchfaith]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As said before, the dirty south is the cheapest. If you go to LA it's gonna be probably $1500 to rent an apartment. Las Vegas has a pretty cheap cost of living, I think apartments run there for about $750.

[/ QUOTE ]

Silly question, but how the hell do you guys get people to work at McDonald's out there (in LA)... do they bus in from out-of-town? Do they live with like 4 people in a cardboard box? Do they have a really high minimum wage in Cali or something?

--Dave.

[/ QUOTE ]

Think.... Olllllldddd Van Down by the rivver

[hotsauce615]

http://www.craigslist.com/ is a nice site to check out apts. I was able to sublet a place in Santa Monica when my job took me there, but I'd never reccomend living there if you want to live cheap. A southern college town is dead on if you want to save money and live in warm weather.

[ChipWrecked]

The Memphis area would make it easy for you to play casino poker (in Tunica) if you're inclined. You can check out the blues scene and go see Graceland! The Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos are easily reached from New Orleans as well.

Regarding L.A., it ain't all Beverly Hills. There are vast areas that are none too nice but affordable (if you have a death wish). Then you take a bus or ride a bicycle to your low wage job. Oh, yeah. You need two or three low wage jobs.

[treeofwisdom7]

Alright i live in hawaii. There is two places in Hawaii you can live. In the big town that you see on tv or the small calm quit towns. A town like Oahu is too expensive for anyone in Oahu to aford. I would think a small crap apt would run you at least 1k but they do have a great bus system. A island like Hawaii *bigisland* is much cheaper but has nothing to offer /images/graemlins/frown.gif. A apt. runs from 700-800 maybe less if you dont mind the roaches. I think everything else will cost about the same as anyother state.

[hotsauce615]

I lived in bad parts of NYC me entire life, but nothing freaked me out more than when I took a wrong turn in LA and was driving around Compton and Krenshaw. I thought I was in Boyz in the Hood.

[jakethebake]

monster.com hgas a cost of living comparison calculator.

[LittleOldLady]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
All the Cost of Living info you need can be found at www.google.com (http://www.google.com)

[/ QUOTE ]

Clark, as always, you are wiser than your somewhat silly username would imply. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

And you're definitely right about this.

But then I wouldn't have gotten the New Orleans suggestion, which is truly awesome! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

--Dave.

[/ QUOTE ]

I should add that New Orleans has way more to offer than, say, a southern college town (Starkville, MS, anyone?). But if you want a college atmosphere, you can have it in New Orleans--in the Tulane-Loyola area. BTW it is still possible to find an affordable-ish small place in the Quarter, not dirt cheap, but not out of sight. Every week of the year there are world class eating, world class drinking, world class music, and world class partying--all relatively cheap because New Orleanians expect the best in this fields and refuse to pay a lot. There are also periodic special events, like carnival-Mardi Gras and Jazzfest which beat southern college towns all hollow. New Orleans also has collegiate and professional sports (although our teams suck, and the hockey is at the moment defunct) and poker rooms (Harrah's and the MS Gulf Coast). If you like fishing and hunting (YUCK!), Louisiana is the sportsman's paradise. I am, perhaps inappropriately, assuming that your main interests are poker and partying, but if you have other kinds of interests (nature and wildlife, history, cultural activities, etc.), New Orleans has a lot to offer. The swamps are amazing, and, yes, alligators crawl up into suburban backyards. We really do have giant oaks trailing Spanish moss and plantation houses and Mardi Gras Indians and Zulu kings, and lots of other neat stuff. (Do I sound like the tourism center?)

If New Orleans is so great why I am in the process of moving to Vegas? Well, there is an answer to that.....

I am in the same boat as you, a canadian that plans to head somewhere warm for the winter and continue playing online.

Im thinking of heading to brazil or costa rica in november. The flights are expensive from canada, but the cost of living is low (at least in brazil), im just not sure about finding reliable internet connection.

I lived in miami for 6 months in 02 and the cost of living wasnt that bad. I rented a furnished bachelor for 600us just north of south beach (was a 5 min bus or taxi to south beach). Lot of fun times, and it was no trouble for a canadian renting, setting up internet, finding a gym nearby etc. I lived pretty cheap, but you could easily spend alot of money aswell. I may have just lucked out finding a decent place right away.

I liive in a suburb of vancouver bc and pay $500 a month for rent. No job or commitment to tie me down so may aswell do some traveling. If poker goes bad, Atleast you gain some life experience and have a good time!

Good Luck!

[OtisTheMarsupial]

OK, Costa Rica is definitely going to be your cheapest bet.

But FWIW, here's what the costs are in Vegas:
apartment = $6-900 (in city limits or North LV for cheapest)
utilities = $2-300 (electricity in Summer is high)
food = $2-500
Car insurance = $1-250 (live in Henderson or Summerlin for lower rates, not Las Vegas proper)

I require $2000 per month for living expenses and general entertainment. I live modestly yet I'm perfectly content.

[TheCroShow]

i used to live in victoria, bc and i just moved to oklahoma city this week. my reason for moving...NO JOBS! guys like me are not a dime a dozen in victoria, we are a nickel a dozen in victoria (IT field, computers, etc). my brother lives here so i figured i'd give OKC a go.

the cost of living seems relatively cheap down here. i haven't worked out all of the figures just yet, i'm mooching off an extra bedroom here until i get settled in. i like it here so far, i visited last christmas and loved it.

[Stellastarr]

[ QUOTE ]
I lived in bad parts of NYC me entire life, but nothing freaked me out more than when I took a wrong turn in LA and was driving around Compton and Krenshaw. I thought I was in Boyz in the Hood.

[/ QUOTE ]

Haha, I soo know how u feel.

[DavidC]

Wait a minute, you're in Vancouver and want to leave to avoid the winter? You wimp! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

What's it like in the winter over there?

Is there a major difference between the weather in Victoria and in Vancouver?

(I've heard they get a little less rain.)

Is there a casino in Victoria?

[jcx]

South Padre Island, TX. Cheap, subtropical and right on the Gulf. Good nightlife.

[TheCroShow]

there is a casino in victoria, but no poker! how weak is that?? apparantly they used to have it but it was not popular enough so they put in more slot machines. there are rumours of them starting up some poker tables but who knows..i think they would have to do one of two things: 1)get rid of slot machines to make way (will never happen) 2) build a new extention to make way for a poker room.

nearest casino for poker is in richmond, the home of the largest poker room in canada. there are poker clubs around town as well

[TheCroShow]

and the cost of living in victoria is relatively high. a 1 bedroom runs a minimum of $620ish...don't expect much more than a closet, and 2 bedrooms are minimum $800+(xxxxy part of town, blah blah) i would not recommend moving to victoria for a cheaper cost of living that is for sure

[wonderwes]

If I had to make a list

1. San Diego
2. somewhere on the south side of Florida around Miami
3. New Orleans
4. Austin, Tx (because its great living here)
5. Vegas (its a desert, but it is Vegas)

Things you should consider. Some cities have way better mass transit than others. So if you don't have a car, that should be highly considered. Also its hard to find major U.S. cities with poker rooms/casinos nearby. If you truely want to only play cards, then you should focus where the main gathering of poker rooms are. Southern California, Las Vegas, and the cities next to Atlantic City (philly, NYC).

The rent in the south is usually cheaper. I just got my new apt of 700sq ft for $510.