Snowbird budget: what 3 months in Miami actually costs

The first question most families ask when a parent talks about wintering in Miami is simple: what will it actually cost? The honest answer is that it depends mostly on where you stay, but the rest of the budget is more predictable than people expect. This guide breaks a three-month season into categories, gives you published benchmarks where reliable ones exist, and hands you a worksheet for the rest. All figures are estimates as of November 2026.

How to use this guide

Think of your Miami season as two budgets running at once:

1. The Miami budget: what you’ll spend down here for roughly 90 days.
2. The home budget: the mortgage or rent, insurance, utilities and upkeep that keep running up north while you’re gone.

People often forget the second one. If your northern house costs you money every month whether you’re in it or not, that’s part of the true cost of the season. Our guide to protecting your northern home covers what to keep running and what to shut off.

For each category below, you’ll find what drives the cost, any trustworthy benchmark we could find, and what to write on your worksheet. Where we couldn’t find a credible current number, we’ve said so rather than guess.

Housing: the line that decides everything

What the benchmarks say

Realtor.com’s June 2026 rental report, as reported by NBC Miami, put the median asking rent in the Miami area at about $2,277 a month, down 2.6% from a year earlier. That number is useful as a floor, but treat it with care: it covers ordinary year-round, mostly unfurnished listings across the whole metro.

A snowbird rental is a different product. It’s furnished, it’s in a neighborhood people want to be in during the winter, it’s often near the water, and it’s rented for the busiest months of the year. Expect seasonal furnished rentals to cost noticeably more per month than that median, and expect prices to vary widely by neighborhood, building and view. We don’t publish a range for seasonal rents because we haven’t found a current, credible source that measures them. The best way to get a real number is to price five or six comparable listings for your exact dates.

You can compare short-stay options on Vrbo and Booking.com, which is also a good way to price a week or two at either end of a longer lease. Our guide to finding a seasonal rental in Miami explains where else to look.

Don’t forget rental tax

Florida taxes rentals of six months or less in condos, apartments, houses and similar lodging. A written lease for continuous residence of more than six months is exempt. A typical three-month snowbird lease is not.

According to a 2026 county-by-county rate summary, the combined state and local rate is:

• Roughly 10% to 14% combined in Miami-Dade, depending on the city: 6% state sales tax, the county’s 1% surtax, and local tourist or resort taxes that vary by municipality (Miami Beach, Surfside and Bal Harbour set their own).
• Rates change, so confirm the current figure with the Florida Department of Revenue or ask the landlord to show the tax on the quote. Our seasonal rentals guide breaks this down.

Ask every landlord whether the quoted rent includes tax. On a three-month lease, it adds up.

Other housing costs to ask about

• Security deposit (refundable, but ties up cash)
• Association application or approval fee, if the building screens tenants (Florida caps this at $150 per applicant)
• Cleaning fee at check-out
• Parking, if not included
• Renter’s insurance for your belongings and liability

If you’re thinking about owning instead, the math is very different. Read renting vs. buying as a snowbird first.

Getting down and back

You’ll make this trip twice, so budget for both legs.

Driving

Driving is usually the cheapest option, and you arrive with your own car. On your worksheet, include fuel (miles divided by your car’s miles per gallon, times current gas prices along your route), one or two hotel nights each way, meals on the road, and tolls. Toll roads around Miami are largely cashless, so make sure your toll transponder or plate-billing account is set up before you leave.

Shipping your car and flying

Many snowbirds fly down and have their car shipped. Car shipping prices change with distance, season and demand, and November and April are the busiest months on the I-95 corridor. Get several quotes for your actual dates; Montway is one place to start. Our car shipping guide walks through open vs. enclosed transport and booking windows.

For flights, Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) both serve the area. Fares swing with dates and demand, so we don’t quote them here. Booking well ahead of the Thanksgiving and Easter rushes helps.

The Auto Train

Amtrak’s Auto Train runs overnight between Lorton, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., and Sanford, Florida, near Orlando, carrying you and your car. From Sanford it’s still a drive of several hours to Miami, so add a day of driving and possibly a hotel night. Price it on Amtrak’s site for your dates.

Getting around Miami

If you bring your car, budget for:

• Fuel for local driving
• Parking, which can be a real cost in Miami Beach, Brickell and Coconut Grove; ask whether your building includes a space
• Tolls on the expressways
• Insurance, since your policy may need updating if the car lives in Florida for part of the year (see our guide to snowbird car insurance and registration)

If you don’t bring a car, add rideshare, the occasional rental car for day trips, and public transit. Many snowbirds in walkable areas like South Beach or Brickell manage fine without one. Renting a car for a few days at a time, through a site like Discover Cars, can be cheaper than shipping one for a short season.

Utilities and internet

Electricity

Florida Power & Light serves most of the Miami area. After the rate agreement approved in November 2025, FPL said a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh a month would pay about $136.64 starting January 2026. A snowbird condo in winter may use less than that, because you’ll run the air conditioning far less than in summer, but size and building matter.

Internet, TV and phone

Prices and promotions change constantly, so get a current quote for your address. Ask about seasonal holds or month-to-month plans. Check whether your northern provider lets you pause service while you’re away, which can offset part of the cost.

The good news

Many furnished seasonal rentals include electricity, water, internet and cable in the rent, sometimes with a cap on electricity. Get it written into the lease. If utilities are included, this whole section may be close to zero.

Healthcare

Medicare premiums

Your Medicare costs travel with you. For 2026, the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month and the Part B deductible is $283 a year, according to CMS. Add any Medigap, Medicare Advantage or Part D premiums you already pay.

The bigger question is coverage

Original Medicare works anywhere in the U.S., and most doctors and hospitals accept it. Medicare Advantage is different: plans must cover emergency and urgent care anywhere in the country, but routine and specialist care outside your plan’s service area may cost more or not be covered. Part D plans have pharmacy networks, and using an out-of-network pharmacy can mean paying full price. Call your plan before you leave and ask:

• Is routine care in Miami covered, and at what cost?
• Do you have a visitor or traveler program?
• How do I fill prescriptions in Florida, or can I get a 90-day mail-order supply before I go?

Budget a cushion for copays and the unexpected. Our healthcare guide covers finding a doctor and urgent care for the season. This is general information, not medical or insurance advice, so confirm your own coverage with your plan or a licensed advisor.

Food

Groceries

The USDA publishes monthly food plan costs. In its May 2026 report, the national average monthly cost of food at home for two adults works out to roughly the figures below. These use the USDA’s figures for a man and woman aged 51 to 70; the same report lists costs for other age groups, so check the one that fits your household:

• About $620 a month on the low-cost plan
• About $775 a month on the moderate-cost plan
• About $930 a month on the liberal plan

These are our calculations from the USDA’s individual figures, adding the 10% the USDA suggests for two-person households. They’re national averages; Miami grocery prices can run higher, especially at stores in tourist areas. Our guide to groceries and where to shop can help you stretch the budget.

Eating out

This is the line people most often underestimate. Miami restaurants, especially in Miami Beach, Brickell and Coconut Grove, are generally priced like other big U.S. cities. Look at your own dining-out spending at home, then decide whether you’ll eat out more or less in Miami. Most snowbirds eat out more.

Fun

This one is personal, so use the worksheet. Common lines include:

• Golf (green fees or a seasonal membership)
• Fitness classes or a gym
• Museums, concerts, theater and festivals
• Boat trips, fishing charters and beach gear
• Entertaining visiting friends and family
• Day trips to the Keys or the Everglades

Prices for events and tee times rise in peak weeks like Art Basel in early December and the Boat Show in February. See when to arrive and when to leave for the busiest dates.

Your three-month worksheet

Copy this into a notebook or spreadsheet and fill in real quotes. Multiply monthly items by three.

Category	Monthly	3-month total
Rent
Rental tax (roughly 10–14% if lease is 6 months or less)
Deposits and fees (one-time)
Electricity (if not included)
Internet, TV, phone (if not included)
Renter’s insurance
Car: fuel, parking, tolls, insurance changes
Rideshare and rentals
Medicare and supplemental premiums
Copays and prescriptions cushion
Groceries
Eating out
Fun and entertaining
Travel down (one-time)
Travel back (one-time)
Northern home carrying costs
Contingency (10%)
Total

A 10% contingency covers the things nobody plans for: a car repair, an extra week of overlap on your rental, a last-minute flight home.

A few ways to keep costs down

• Book early. The best-value seasonal rentals are often taken by returning tenants a year ahead.
• Avoid the busiest weeks for travel and short stays (early December, mid-February, late March).
• Negotiate a longer stay. Some landlords lower the monthly rate for a four- or six-month lease.
• Ask what’s included. A slightly higher rent that covers utilities, internet and parking can be the better deal.
• Pause what you can at home. Cable, streaming, gym memberships and newspaper delivery all add up.

When you’re ready to turn your budget into a plan, our snowbird checklist and complete guide to becoming a Miami snowbird will take you through the rest.