Moving From NYC to Fort Lauderdale

The Sunny Side of Leaving NYC for the Beach Fronts of Fort Lauderdale

Moving from the congested streets of NYC to a beach view in Fort Lauderdale is a big change in scenery and lifestyle. Former NYC dwellers are going to feel a difference in their wallet and their lifestyle as Fort Lauderdale movers help them to settle into this city located on the sea. Yet once you adjust yourself to this sunnier slice of life, you’ll quickly find that moving to Fort Lauderdale from NYC was a glorious decision.

The Cost of Living

Compared to the prices in NYC, just about everything is cheaper in Fort Lauderdale, including a Big Mac. A person living on $7,200 a month in New York can realistically keep their same quality of life in Fort Lauderdale making over $2,000 less. NYC is one of the most expensive places in the country to live and raise a family, where Fort Lauderdale offers many of the same benefits for a fraction of the cost. Your standard $15 bottle of wine in New York for example drops to $11.50 once you live in Fort Lauderdale. Other noteworthy price differences include:

• An almost 20% cheaper tab at your favorite restaurant in Fort Lauderdale.
• 37.50% off of your check when fine dining.
• Rice and bread which are typically 30% less expensive in a Fort Lauderdale supermarket.
• The double cost for a pack of cigarettes in NYC.

On average, restaurant prices in Fort Lauderdale are 24.67% lower than in New York, and your local buying power overall is going to be 17.95% higher. In other words, every dollar earned in Fort Lauderdale puts more food on your plate and in your grocery cart.

Renting in Fort Lauderdale Compared to NYC

If you’ve already started your apartment hunting in Fort Lauderdale, than you’ve probably already noted the difference. Yet this is not a reflection of the area of Fort Lauderdale you are looking in, rather one of the perks of leaving NYC behind:

• 1-bedroom apartment inside of the city: $2955.53 in NYC compared to Fort Lauderdale’s $1,682.80.
• 3-bedroom apartment inside of the city: $5,851.07 in New York in comparison to $3,088.89 in Fort Lauderdale.
• 1-bedroom apartment outside of the city: $1,799.60 in NYC and $1,148.95 in Fort Lauderdale.
• 3-bedroom apartment outside of the city: $3,129.94 when renting in NY and $2,137.50 for rent in Fort Lauderdale.

You will also be saving some money if you are selling your NYC home to buy in Fort Lauderdale. Apartments in the heart of the Big Apple can be as high as $1,630.80 per square foot, or 80% higher than Fort Lauderdale’s $321.75 price tag. Even on the outskirts of Fort Lauderdale you are going to pay $162.43 for the same square foot you were paying $963.29 for in NYC. So if you were to sell that small 325 square foot one bedroom in NYC for $313,069.25, you could buy a same sized home outside of Fort Lauderdale for $52,789.75, or have your movers unpack your belongings in a much bigger space for the same price.

How Much Pay is Lost When Moving From NYC to Fort Lauderdale?

There is an obvious difference in pay rates between Fort Lauderdale and NYC, but it is not as high as you may think, considering the cost of living differences. Minimum wage in New York is $9 an hour, only slightly higher than the $8.05 in Florida. After taxes, New Yorkers average a take home monthly pay of $3,588.28 while workers in Fort Lauderdale bring home $2,972.57. With the reduction in how much you are spending however, you may not even feel like short in your weekly paychecks.

As the home to the world’s largest annual boat show, it is no surprise that the industry has a strong role in the Fort Lauderdale work force. Over 109,000 jobs are generated by the manufacture and maintenance of large yachts and other water craft, helped along by the canals that feed into the city. Other major employers in Fort Lauderdale include Tenet Healthcare, American Express and the telephone giant Motorola.

Can You Endure the Weather Difference in Fort Lauderdale?

You can’t beat a beach climate where the temperatures rarely fall below 65 degrees, and an average of 250 days a year are sunny ones. That’s a complete turnaround from the cold winds and snow that blow through NYC from November until March. Fort Lauderdale has a tropical rainforest feel to the weather, but the cool Atlantic is always just a short drive away for when you want to cool off.

What’s Not to Like for a New Yorker Living in Fort Lauderdale?

The need for your own wheels is strongly felt in Fort Lauderdale, as the infrastructure of the city does not include the same complex transportation systems that you find in NYC. There are buses and rail systems, but they do not serve the entire area the way a NYC resident is used to. This is only enhanced by the “slower” way of life, as individuals living in Fort Lauderdale don’t move with the same urgency that New Yorkers tend to.

Fort Lauderdale has an up and coming nightlife in comparison to NYC, and those who enjoy living in a “city that never sleeps” will need to adjust their schedules. You are not going to find the abundance of late night shops, restaurants and delivery services available in NYC once you move to Fort Lauderdale. There is still a culturally diverse night club scene however that draws huge crowds out on the weekends.

The flow of people out of NYC has gotten younger in the last decade as people seek milder climates and better opportunities in Fort Lauderdale and other South Florida cities. So long as you are prepared to throw away your hustle and bustle for a laid back beach life, you’ll find that Fort Lauderdale to be a very warm and welcoming place to call home.