How to live in Key West

Tourists on my pub crawl frequently ask me, How can I live in Key West, is it expensive to live in Key West or some variation of this. My answer is you can do it, if you really want too, yes it is expensive. What are you willing to give up to live in paradise?  Key West is an island though it is connected by road to the continental U.S. it is still a bit secluded from the real world.

Do you have to be rich to live here? No, but it would help. The cost of housing is the biggest expense. Many young people share quarters and rent, often working two or three jobs. If you are like me a little older this is not an option. Most jobs would transfer down here but the pay is not going to be as high as you may be used to in the real world. Food costs are about the same as anywhere, we have grocery stores on the island.

Space is limited here so if you need a lot of stuff, you may want to re-think living here. Key West is widely known as a drinking town with a fishing problem. It is very easy to catch "Keys Disease" also known as alcoholism simply because the laid back lifestyle is very conducive to drinking.  The cost of gas for a car really does not affect me down here, the price is higher than on the main land but I don't care because I ride bicycle everywhere. The car is only used to go to the grocery or for days when it is raining or I have a lot of errands. If you must have the latest designer clothes, you might want to re-think Key West. When you live here your shirts become mostly bar t-shirts or they have fish on them. A good pair of flip flops and a collared shirt is "dressed up".

In short if you can live your life with just simple pleasures Key West is the best place on earth to live, I love Key West and would not want to be anywhere else. Life here is really awesome but it's not easy and it's not for everyone. I would say that most people are better off to just enjoy it by vacationing here. Hope to see you all soon on the Off Duval Bar Crawl.

www.pubcrawlinkeywest.com