Cost Of Living, St. Augustine Salary, Living Wage St. Augustine

What Salary Do You Need to Live Comfortably in St. Augustine, FL?

Thinking about making the nation’s oldest city your home? St. Augustine, Florida, blends historic charm, beaches, and a growing job market—but that lifestyle comes with a price tag. Understanding the St. Augustine salary you need, the local cost of living, and how to budget smartly can help you decide whether this coastal city fits your financial plans.

The Short Answer: A Comfortable Salary Range for St. Augustine

Pulling together recent 2026 data, most sources suggest you’ll need a gross annual salary between about $75,000 and $95,000 to live comfortably as a single adult in St. Augustine. TrueCostLiving estimates that range as the sweet spot for covering rent on a one-bedroom apartment, utilities, transportation, food, and still having room for savings and leisure.

CityCost finds that a comfortable lifestyle in the city typically requires around $4,155 in net income per month, while Salary.com pegs monthly living costs between roughly $2,150 and $2,800 for a single person, depending on housing and lifestyle choices. When you gross those numbers up for taxes, they land right in that $75,000–$95,000 salary band for a solid, comfortable standard of living—not bare minimum survival, but not extravagant either.

📌 Key Takeaway: For many individuals, a realistic living wage St. Augustine for comfort—not just scraping by—is around $80,000 a year, with more needed if you’re supporting dependents or aiming for aggressive savings.

How the Cost of Living in St. Augustine Breaks Down

To understand which St. Augustine salary actually feels comfortable, it helps to see where your money is likely to go. Overall, St. Augustine’s cost of living index is around 128, or about 28% higher than the U.S. average, according to CostOfLivingData. Housing is the main driver, but not the only one.

• Housing: One-bedroom rent ranges roughly from $1,560 to $1,800 per month, depending on whether you’re in the city center (Wise, CostOfLivingData). Median home values sit between $350,000 and $430,000 (Zillow, Kurby.ai).

• Utilities & Internet: Expect around $90–$120 for utilities and $60–$80 for internet each month, based on CostOfLivingData, Numbeo, and Nomadlio estimates.

• Groceries & Food: Groceries for one person typically run $300–$400 per month. A night out—say dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant—can easily reach $75 or more (Numbeo).

• Transportation: Budget around $120–$130 monthly for fuel and basic transportation costs, according to CostOfLivingData.

Add those together and you arrive at a total monthly cost for a single renter of roughly $2,200 to $2,800. That’s your baseline cost of living—before extra travel, hobbies, student loans, or significant savings goals enter the picture.

St. Augustine Salary vs. Local Incomes

So how does that compare to what people actually earn? CostOfLivingData lists the median household income in St. Augustine at around $80,473 per year, while HomeSnacks puts it slightly lower at about $78,151. That suggests the typical household is earning roughly what most tools consider a comfortable St. Augustine salary for basic needs plus some financial breathing room.

Keep in mind, though, that “household” often means more than one earner. For a single person, the living wage St. Augustine requires may feel quite different if you’re on one moderate income instead of two. If you’re planning to move alone, aiming for a salary closer to $75,000 is a safer bet than assuming you can match the lifestyle of a dual-earner household making $80,000 together.

Housing costs sit well above national averages, making rent your largest monthly expense.

What Does “Living Comfortably” Actually Look Like?

“Comfortable” is subjective, but most financial planners define it as being able to:

• Cover essential bills (housing, utilities, food, transportation, insurance) without stress

• Save at least 10–15% of your income for retirement and long-term goals

• Maintain a small emergency fund (ideally 3–6 months of expenses)

• Enjoy some discretionary spending on dining out, travel, hobbies, and those weekend trips to the beach

When you apply that definition to St. Augustine, the living wage St. Augustine residents need ends up higher than pure survival numbers. CityCost’s estimate that a comfortable lifestyle requires around $4,155 net per month lines up with being able to do all of the above without constantly feeling squeezed.

Affordable Housing in St. Augustine: Is It Possible?

With median rents around $1,575–$1,721 and home values above $350,000, affordable housing can feel out of reach, especially for service workers, young professionals, or retirees on fixed incomes. The good news: there are targeted programs and communities trying to bridge this gap.

• Summer Breeze at Summerset Village and similar Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties offer income restricted units for families and seniors, following HUD income limits.

• The new Village of New Augustine targets households earning up to 60% of Area Median Income, with one-bedrooms starting around $634 per month and three-bedrooms up to about $1,600.

• Madison Seagrass, now under construction, will include a significant share of below-market units backed by Florida’s Live Local Act.

Nonprofits like St. Johns Housing Partnership and supportive programs such as Alpha-Omega Miracle Home and Veterans Village also help residents access stable, lower-cost housing. For many people, especially those earning well below the $75,000–$95,000 “comfortable” range, these resources are key to making St. Augustine livable at all.

💡 Pro Tip: If your income is modest, research waitlists at LIHTC and Section 8 communities early. Affordable housing options in St. Augustine often fill quickly, but they can dramatically lower the salary you need to get by.

Budgeting for St. Augustine: Sample Monthly Plans

Once you know the typical cost of living, the next step is budgeting for St. Augustine in a way that fits your actual income. Below are two simplified examples for a single renter.

1. “Getting By” Budget – Around $60,000 Gross Per Year

• Take-home pay (approx.): $3,600/month

• Rent (modest one-bedroom or roommate share): $1,400

• Utilities & internet: $200

• Groceries & basic dining: $350

• Transportation: $130

• Insurance, phone, subscriptions: $250

• Savings & debt payments: $300

That leaves only a few hundred dollars for fun, travel, or unexpected costs. It’s doable, but tight—more “surviving” than truly comfortable, and it may require roommates or living farther from downtown to find semi-affordable housing.

2. “Comfortable” Budget – Around $85,000 Gross Per Year

• Take-home pay (approx.): $4,900/month

• Rent (central one-bedroom): $1,700

• Utilities & internet: $230

• Groceries & dining out: $500

• Transportation: $150

• Insurance, phone, subscriptions: $300

• Savings & investments: $700+

In this scenario, you’re not only covering the cost of living comfortably in St. Augustine, but also building a financial cushion and enjoying more of what the city offers—festivals, dining, and those weekend boat tours. This is closer to what most people imagine when they talk about a “comfortable” St. Augustine salary.

Final Thoughts: Is St. Augustine Worth the Price Tag?

St. Augustine’s cobblestone streets, coastal views, and historic architecture make it an appealing place to call home—but the numbers matter as much as the charm. With a cost of living 20–30% above the national average and housing leading the way, you’ll want to be realistic about the salary you bring to the table and intentional about budgeting for St. Augustine.

For many individuals, a living wage St. Augustine that feels truly comfortable is in the $75,000–$95,000 range, especially if you want to rent a place of your own, save consistently, and enjoy the city’s lifestyle. If your income is lower, you may still be able to make it work—through roommates, more modest neighborhoods, or tapping into affordable housing programs and local nonprofits.

Ultimately, whether St. Augustine is “affordable” comes down to your personal situation: your income, debts, and priorities. With clear-eyed planning and a realistic look at the true cost of living, you can decide if the city’s sunshine and history are worth the salary it demands—and build a budget that lets you enjoy it without constant money stress.