Real Estate News

Where would you live? Here’s how far $2,900 a month takes you in Miami Beach

By Rebecca San Juan
The typical renter pays $2,902 a month in Miami-Dade County, according to the latest rent data from the Seattle-based residential listing company Zillow Group.
The typical renter pays $2,902 a month in Miami-Dade County, according to the latest rent data from the Seattle-based residential listing company Zillow Group.

Apartment hunters face a tough search in South Florida, with competition from newcomers streaming into the region and steady rent increases. But ever wonder how far a dollar really stretches across town?

To help, the Miami Herald is exploring what it looks like to rent across the area.

First up: Miami Beach.

Renters flood into Miami Beach from across the globe to soak in the city, especially from Canada, Argentina and the Big Apple.

The typical renter pays $2,902 a month in Miami-Dade County, according to the latest rent data from the Seattle-based residential listing company Zillow Group. Zillow tracks rent changes and determines the typical rent by looking at the average middle 30% of current asking prices.

So what will that get you in Miami Beach?

In Miami Beach, $2,900 can get a renter into a one-bedroom apartment in the city’s most expensive neighborhood or up to a two-bedroom rental in an up-and-coming part of town, according to real estate agents RE/MAX Advance Realty’s Vivian Fernandez and the Keyes Company Realtors’ Danell Van Orden, who each have two decades of experience selling and renting in the area.

So while renters may compromise on space and amenities, what they are looking for is beach living. “The number one attraction is the beach itself,” Fernandez said.

Miami Beach’s neighborhoods

Miami Beach renters have three key neighborhoods to choose from:

▪ South Beach (which stretches from South Pointe Park to the Miami Beach Golf Club on Dade Boulevard).

▪ Mid-Beach (from Miami Beach Golf Club on Dade Boulevard to West 63rd Street).

▪ North Beach (from Brittany Bay Park on Indian Creek Drive to the North Beach Oceanside Park on the intersection of 87th Street and Collins Avenue).

Those unfamiliar with the neighborhoods are likely to know South Beach the best with the iconic Art Deco hotels dotting Ocean Drive, the beachfront Lummus Park and the outdoor Lincoln Road Mall.

The other two neighborhoods have their own distinguishing characteristics. Heard of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach? That’s in Mid-Beach. And North Beach is having its Cinderella moment. High-rises and the renovation of the 28-acre North Beach Oceanside Park are transforming the neighborhood. Still, some of its great amenities are staying in place, including the Miami Beach Tennis Center at North Shore Park and the Miami Beach Bandshell.

Where would you live?

South Beach

A one bedroom apartment goes for $2,900 a month on the fifth floor at the Presidential Condominium at 401 Ocean Drive. Above: A photo outside of the Presidential Condominium.
A one bedroom apartment goes for $2,900 a month on the fifth floor at the Presidential Condominium at 401 Ocean Drive. Above: A photo outside of the Presidential Condominium. The Keyes Company Realtors


A 659-square-foot apartment goes for $2,900 a month on the fifth floor at the Presidential Condominium at 401 Ocean Dr. The renter here gets a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a balcony overlooking Ocean Drive. Located in the South of Fifth pocket of South Beach, the 11-story building sits steps from the beach and a 10-minute walk from Lummus and South Pointe parks.

Step inside this South Beach apartment going for $2,900 a month. After entering the front door, renters see the kitchen to their right and the living room with views overlooking Ocean Drive.
Step inside this South Beach apartment going for $2,900 a month. After entering the front door, renters see the kitchen to their right and the living room with views overlooking Ocean Drive. The Keyes Company Realtors

“You don’t need a car. You can walk to everything from restaurants to shopping to parks,” said listing agent Van Orden. “This has the great neighborhood vibe. You have great coffee shops, cocktail bars. It’s still a neighborhood of people who recognize one another.”

The kitchen of this unit in South Beach offers plenty of countertop space, but renters may have to settle for eating at the counter instead of having a formal dining space.
The kitchen of this unit in South Beach offers plenty of countertop space, but renters may have to settle for eating at the counter instead of having a formal dining space. The Keyes Company Realtors

Swimmers get both beach access directly behind the building and a pool.

The South Beach apartment has one bedroom, pictured above, with a slider window overlooking the street.
The South Beach apartment has one bedroom, pictured above, with a slider window overlooking the street. The Keyes Company Realtors

The trade-offs? Van Orden said the apartment lacks assigned parking, in-unit laundry — there’s one down the hall — and pets aren’t allowed.

The South Beach apartment comes with a single bathroom, pictured above, decorated with mosaic tile.
The South Beach apartment comes with a single bathroom, pictured above, decorated with mosaic tile. The Keyes Company Realtors

Mid-Beach

In Mid-Beach, the Crystal House Condominium, pictured above, has a 1,019-square-foot apartment going for $2,900 a month.
In Mid-Beach, the Crystal House Condominium, pictured above, has a 1,019-square-foot apartment going for $2,900 a month. RE/MAX Advance Realty


Renters can land a 1,019-square-foot apartment at $2,900 a month at the Crystal House Condominium at 5055 Collins Ave.

The Mid-Beach apartment has an open floor plan with a living room and dining space.
The Mid-Beach apartment has an open floor plan with a living room and dining space. RE/MAX Advance Realty

The apartment comes with one bedroom and two bathrooms and is on the sixth floor of the 14-story building. Crystal House has its own pool and, with the beach right behind it, beach service.

The Mid-Beach apartment offers a galley-style kitchen. Although there’s space to move around, the renter has limited counter space.
The Mid-Beach apartment offers a galley-style kitchen. Although there’s space to move around, the renter has limited counter space. RE/MAX Advance Realty

Renters often choose Mid-Beach, listing agent Fernandez said, because “they can get a bigger unit than they can in South Beach. We have more two bedrooms available for that same amount of money or that one bedroom will have the in-unit washer and dryer and parking space when you can’t get that in South Beach.”

Child of the ocean? The Mid-Beach apartment has a single bedroom with side views of the beach.
Child of the ocean? The Mid-Beach apartment has a single bedroom with side views of the beach. RE/MAX Advance Realty

Although the renter for this apartment can get a parking space, they’ll have to leave behind Fluffy since pets aren’t allowed, and they’ll still have to go to a common space to do their laundry.

The Mid-Beach apartment has a full bathroom, pictured above, and a powder room.
The Mid-Beach apartment has a full bathroom, pictured above, and a powder room. RE/MAX Advance Realty

North Beach

Normandy Isles’ Nautico Bay Club Condominium has a 1,030-square-foot apartment going for $2,800 a month. Here’s the view from the apartment’s balcony.
Normandy Isles’ Nautico Bay Club Condominium has a 1,030-square-foot apartment going for $2,800 a month. Here’s the view from the apartment’s balcony. RE/MAX Advance Realty


Apartment hunters can rent a 1,030-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Normandy Isles, a community in North Beach, for $2,800 a month. Located on the top floor of the five-story Nautico Bay Club Condominium at 6937 Bay Dr., the apartment comes with a parking space and a balcony overlooking the Intracoastal. The owner allows pets.

The Normandy Isles apartment’s intracoastal waterway views can be seen from the front door, kitchen, dining and living room space.
The Normandy Isles apartment’s intracoastal waterway views can be seen from the front door, kitchen, dining and living room space. RE/MAX Advance Realty

Located along the canal, the building has a pool and is a 15-minute walk from the Miami Beach Bandshell and the beach.

The Normandy Isles apartment has a walk-in kitchen, pictured above, with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.
The Normandy Isles apartment has a walk-in kitchen, pictured above, with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. RE/MAX Advance Realty

“You can get better deals,” listing agent Fernandez said about North Beach in general, and “you have more space, and that’s what people really like.”

The Normandy Isles apartment has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. All of the apartment’s hurricane-proof windows overlook the intracoastal waterway and high-rises on the mainland in the distance.
The Normandy Isles apartment has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. All of the apartment’s hurricane-proof windows overlook the intracoastal waterway and high-rises on the mainland in the distance. RE/MAX Advance Realty

One negative? The apartment lacks its own washer and dryer. Renters would have to go to a shared lounge in the building to do their laundry.

The Normandy Isles apartment has two full bathrooms.
The Normandy Isles apartment has two full bathrooms. RE/MAX Advance Realty

Tips for Miami Beach renters

▪ “Don’t be afraid of the Intracoastal view,” Fernandez said. “The night views with the city are beautiful…and those with Intracoastal views tend to be cheaper.”

▪ “Here you’re dealing with individual owners,” Van Orden said. “Let them know who you are and why you want to live in their place. You’ll be surprised how far that goes. If you say, ‘Oh my gosh, I could have my coffee in the morning on the balcony,’ the landlord will resonate with that. The reason you’re picking that place — it matters.”

▪ Save your search for some time in May through October, Van Orden said, because you’ll have less competition and more options. “We are a seasonal town,” she said. “The competition this time of year is not heavy.”

So, where would you live? Take our poll.

This story was originally published March 27, 2024 at 12:30 PM.

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