Life in Miami

For many, living in Miami symbolizes living in the “marble” city: sea by day and mall by night, but the vacation feeling ends the moment the routine of work, taking the children to and from school, paying bills and all the responsibilities that come with family and professional life begin. But it is also true that meeting those demands is much more bearable when the streets that are traveled are clean and without gaps, when you can rest easy knowing that children are well cared for in nice, clean and well-equipped schools; when one can drive a new vehicle in a city where traffic rules are respected; when living in a comfortable home, with access to swimming pools and gyms; and above all, with great security.

Living in Miami is living in a city organized in the American way with Latin culture

Another reason why Miami is an ideal place to emigrate with a reduced nostalgia, is that this city has become the main center of reception of Latin American immigrants, so it is now possible to get all the products to which we have been accustomed in our countries of origin, often in more quantity and variety than in our own countries. making our adaptation more bearable. For example, it is common to find in school cafeterias Venezuelan cachitos and tequeños, Colombian bonus bread, Chilean empanadas, Argentine alfajores, Cuban midnight sandwich and Peruvian or Brazilian mate or guarana soft drinks. And everywhere you can order churrascos, bread with suckling pig, paellas, arepas, pupusas, ceviches, bandeja paisa, sobre belliga, tamales, tacos and even a tres leches to close with a Cuban coffee laundry.

Although all instructions for accessing all services, understanding all regulations, and understanding all legal, civil and social processes are explained in both Spanish and English, here is a small introduction of what you can expect to find in your first months of residency in Miami:

Jobs

• One of the great requirements of jobs in Miami is the ability to speak Spanish.
• The minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour, up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week.
• The overtime, unless there is an exception, is 50% more than what you receive for a typical hour of work.
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Florida’s median annual income in 2008 was $47,802.00. In Miami-Dade County the per capita income was $23,348.00, and the per household income was $43,957.00.
• According to the company Indeed, specialized in jobs, the average annual salary for professionals in Miami, for January 5, 2013, is $ 67,000.00 per year.

If you want more information on this point, do not hesitate to contact us through:

Or check out our job listing.

Housing

Rent: In general, the process of renting or buying a home is very simple and the offer is high. According to rentbits.com the average monthly rent in Miami in 2012 was:

• GPA: $1,613.00.
• 1 bedroom: $1.325,00.
• Of 2 rooms: $1.684,00.
• From 3+ rooms: $2.169,00.

Buy: This is a great time to buy real estate in Florida. As of December 31, 2012 the average property price was approximately $249,000. If you qualify for a mortgage loan, interest starts from 2.13% to 40 years, and can give as little as 3% of installment or down payment.

Points to consider when choosing a home:

• Schools and their quality (if you have children).
• Distance from the workplace.
• Security of the area.
• Devaluation or revaluation of the property.&Access to highways.

Visit our housing section for more information, and upon arrival in Miami contact us and let us refer you to experts who will advise you at no cost.

Education

In 2012, the Florida Public Education System ranked first in the nation in teacher quality. It was first in the nation in placement of students in advanced classes, and first in the southern region in terms of graduation rate and diplomas awarded by the Florida College System. In an international reading assessment, fourth-graders from Florida ranked second in the world, behind only students from Hong Kong.

• The school system provides transportation, if needed, printed and digital books, at no cost. Some magnet schools even provide lap-tops or I-pads to make studying easier.
• School uniforms cost about $70.00 and usually what is purchased are shirts and school logos.
• All Miami public schools offer English classes for students who speak other languages. This educational program is called ESOL (English Speakers Other Languages)

All public schools are assessed annually through tests taken in math, writing, reading and science. With these results, and taking into consideration other factors such as the variation of graduates, student participation, etc., schools are rated with a simple scale of A, B, C, D, and F. This evaluation determines the funds allocated to schools and the retention or not of educators.

This qualification is fundamental for the choice of schools for your children, and consequently of the area where you live.

If you are instead interested in a private school, the costs can vary greatly depending on the institution chosen:

Monthly payments: can be around $ 300.00, plus other expenses.

• Books: $200.00.
• Income share: $4,000.00.
• Transportation: $150.00 per month.

Visit our housing section for more information,

Services

Electricity. Florida Power & Light provides electricity in Miami-Dade. FPL reported that for the first quarter of 2012, the average cost of a typical home was $94.62 per month.

You can open your first electric service account online.

Drinking water and sewage. The Miami-Dade County Department of Drinking Water and Sewage provides this service in the city of Miami. The average cost of drinking water and sewage service for a typical Miami-Dade family in October 2011 was around $63.00. But it is very common that the water bill is calculated as part of the cost of the monthly rent.

Telephone. There are several companies that offer landline service, such as AT&T, Comcast, Vonage, etc. Programs and prices vary according to your needs, but a basic system with unlimited calls to other landlines anywhere in the world can be around $30.00 per month.

Cell. There are plans with free activation and unlimited talk, text and internet from $ 30.00, if they do not include the cell phone, or about $ 70.00 if they include the free or low cost cell phone, but with limited internet, messages and calls plans.

Garbage and Recycling. You can request the activation of the online garbage collection service from Public Works and Wate Management. Garbage is collected twice a week in Miami-Dade County. The county provides trash and recycling bins at no cost.

Transport. Public transportation in Miami is very poor, but the highways, streets and avenues are impeccable. Obtaining a new or used car is relatively easy and affordable to any budget. But among the car sellers are the most common scammers in the city, so it is highly advisable to seek advice before going to get your new vehicle.

• The term transportation refers to a car that costs about $300.00, is very neglected and is only used to get from home to work.
• There are new cars on the market from $ 9,000.00. You can finance the car with up to $0.00 upfront, and interest up to 1.96%, for 5 years.
• Gasoline in 2012 ranged from $3.00 to $4.00 per gallon. Family vehicle tanks carry between 12 and 15 gallons. New cars yield between 18 and 22 miles per gallon. This is why it is important to measure the distances between home, schools and jobs.
• Another mandatory expense is insurance. The value of the insurance will depend on the type of vehicle, years of licensed driving experience in the USA, the age of the driver and the number and type of accidents in the driver’s record. The monthly insurance payment can be at a minimum of $90.00 per month.
• The car registration is initially about $100.00, and then for the annual renewal it is about $58.00.
• The license or license plate of a car in Florida belongs to the driver and not the car. That is, if you change cars, you must remove the license plate or identification plate from the old car and put it on the new one. Its cost is close to $ 50.00.

After a few months paying your vehicle on time, you can refinance it for less interest, lower payments, and/or a new vehicle.

If you bring a car from another state, you have three months to register it in Florida.

Physical activities

Throughout Miami there are parks with walking and exercise routes. In addition, many urbanizations have swimming pools and gyms for their tenants, at no cost.

Bless you

Hospitals, medical centers, acute and emergency medicine centers exist throughout Miami-Dade.

Although no center can deny service in case of emergencies, it is always advisable to have medical insurance.

• Insurance can be obtained for you and your family through work costing, depending on the type of benefits chosen, between $0.00 and $160.00 per biweekly family.
• Private insurance can be around $350.00 per month per family.

Families

Foods. A family’s monthly market will also vary depending on which auto-market(s) they go to. Although American supermarket chains have become quite Latinized, there are also Latin chains and small warehouses or stores specializing in Latin American products, whose prices can be much lower.

The monthly market for a family of three can be about $500.

Some regular prices and without “discount coupons”:

• Bread: between $1.00 and $3.00.
• Dozen eggs: between $.99 and $1.50.
• A gallon of milk: $3.00.§ A packet of pasta: between $.99 and $1.50.
• Meat for steak: $2.99 per pound.
• Coffee: $2.00.

Service employees. You can pay $20.00 and $80.00 per house, hour or rooms.

Haircut. About $15.00 plus tip.

Clothes. The offer of styles, and prices of clothing is so varied, that it is impossible to create price rules in this division.