Cost of Living
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1/3/2015
I moved here from the northern Sierra foothills of California where I could not afford to buy a home. Purchasing a home is no problem here if you have a median income (greater than about $40,000/year). Real Estate values do increase here but they also vary from time to time.
Gasoline is normally lower than many places in Texas and the northern states, with some refineries located in the area.
Food is a bit more expensive with a grocery store chain called HEB being the dominant grocery business in the state followed perhaps by Walmart which is also located in Portland. Walmart has a much smaller selection of specific grocery items and doesn't have the quality of either meats or vegetables IMO that HEB has. There are a few high quality but more expensive grocery stores across the bay in Corpus Christi.
Fast food restaurants here include all the national chains and prices. A regular burger & fries with a drink will range between $4 to $7 depending on portion size ordered. Subway here is about $8 for a foot long black forest ham with veggies and a medium drink.
All-you-can-eat buffets are popular with costs ranging between $7.60 to $12. That includes both Chinese & American themes & both include some seafood choices too.
In Corpus Christi, across the bay, there are also non chain restaurants of many sizes & specialties that range in the $11 to $20 area that are cooked to order places of varying qualities. Also in Corpus are some finer dining places that are at the upper end of price range, many with views of the downtown marina and bay.
Natural gas utilities here are very reasonable at around $30/month for hot water & cooking and if you choose to heat with it, still a bargain at about another $30-$50/ month depending on size of house,etc.
Electric utilities here are much more expensive than natural gas. The summer time temperatures and humidity mimic the rest of the southeastern states and IMO require air conditioning which drives electric bills to $200 /month or more depending on house size & degree of cooling desired by the individual.
Ken | Portland, TX