🇺🇸 United States · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Orlando? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed apartment, downtown, Thornton Park or Mills 50USD 1,700–2,200 / month
Three-bed house, Baldwin Park or Lake NonaUSD 2,800–3,800 / month
Electricity from OUC, one-bed with air conditioningUSD 100–200 / month — the summer bill is roughly double the winter one
Groceries, one personUSD 380–520 / month
Renters' insurance plus a separate NFIP flood policyUSD 25–60 / month combined — flood is never included in the renters' policy
Good to know
Population
≈320,000 in the city — Florida's fourth largest — inside an Orange County of about 1.45 million and a metro approaching 2.8 million
Languages
English; Spanish is a working language across much of the metro, which has the largest Puerto Rican population in Florida — Haitian Creole and Vietnamese are also widely spoken
Currency
United States dollar (USD)
Time zone
EST (GMT-5); EDT (GMT-4) from mid-March to early November
Power plug
Types A and B, 120 V / 60 Hz
Climate
Humid subtropical — hot humid summers with a thunderstorm most afternoons, mild dry winters, about 1,270 mm of rain a year, and a hurricane season from 1 June to 30 November
Driving side
Right
Sales tax
6.5% — Florida's 6% plus Orange County's 0.5% discretionary surtax, which applies only to the first $5,000 of any single item
Elevation
About 30 m above sea level and 80 km from either coast — no storm surge risk, but rainfall flooding is the real hazard
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Orlando checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Orlando
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.