Because nothing says “mid-century escapism vs late-capitalism grind” quite like realizing you need 3,000 hours of minimum-wage work just to sit on the beach and drink margaritas all day I have chartered what it really costs to “waste away in Margaritaville.”
I did this by pricing out a 3-month stay in Key West, the year Jimmy Buffett wrote the song (1976), versus today (2025) but I wanted to do it in terms of minimum-wage hours worked not just dollars.
Costs:
Rent (3 months in a modest 1-bedroom)
Food (cheap eats)
Booze (7 drinks per day — 3 margaritas at bars, 4 at home)
Tattoo (one small “shop-minimum” piece)
Then I converted everything into hours at the federal minimum wage ($2.30 in 1976 vs $7.25 in 2025).
| Category | 1976 $ | 1976 hrs @ $2.30/hr | 2025 $ | 2025 hrs @ $7.25/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent (3 months) | $550 | 239 hrs | $11,958 | 1,649 hrs |
| Food (91 days) | $1,197 | 520 hrs | $7,826 | 1,080 hrs |
| Bar drinks (3/night) | $419 | 182 hrs | $2,727 | 376 hrs |
| Home drinks (4/night) | $291 | 127 hrs | $933 | 129 hrs |
| Tattoo (1 small) | $25 | 11 hrs | $125 | 17 hrs |
| Total | $2,482 | 1,079 hrs | $23,569 | 3,251 hrs |
TL;DR
In 1976 it would take around ~1,079 hours hours of working full time on minimum wage and saving every time of it to spend a "Season" in Margaritaville. That's 27 weeks of full-time work.
In 2025 it would take around ~3,251 hours hours of working full time on minimum wage and saving every time of it to spend a "Season" in Margaritaville. That's 81 weeks of full-time work.
That’s over 3× more labor today to fund the same easy-drifting, salt-rimmed lifestyle. Turns out it’s a lot harder now to find your lost shaker of salt in 2025 than it was in 1976.
How I Figured It Out
Rent (2025): Key West 1-bedroom avg ≈ $3,986/mo → $11,958 for 3 mo (https://www.apartments.com/key-west-fl/average-rent/
Rent (1976): Interpolated from FL Census gross rent ($112 in 1970 → $255 in 1980) ≈ $183/mo × 3 = $550.
Food (2025): GSA Key West M&IE $86/day → $7,826 https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates
Food (1976): Scaled by BLS CPI “Food Away From Home” index (1976 58.169 → 2025 380.452) → $86 / 6.54 ≈ $13.15/day → $1,197.
Bar drinks (2025): Amigos Tortilla Bar margarita $9.99 → 3 × 91 = $2,727.
Bar drinks (1976): CPI Alcohol Away From Home (1977→2025 ≈ 6.5×) → $9.99 / 6.5 ≈ $1.54 per drink → $419 for the season.
Home drinks (2025): Homemade margarita ≈ $2.56 each → $933.
Home drinks (1976): CPI Alcohol at Home (1977→2025 ≈ 3.2×) → $0.80 each → $291.
Tattoo (2025): Local shop minimums $100–$150 → $125 average.
Tattoo (1976): Typical small tattoo price $20–$40 → $25 average.
Minimum wages: 1976 =$2.30 /hr (DOL history); 2025 =$7.25 /hr (federal); also checked FL $14/hr (separate calc ≈ 1,684 hrs).
by jrralls
10 Comments
SOURCE: Rent (2025): Key West 1-bedroom avg ≈ $3,986/mo → $11,958 for 3 mo ([https://www.apartments.com/key-west-fl/average-rent/](https://www.apartments.com/key-west-fl/average-rent/)
Rent (1976): Interpolated from FL Census gross rent ($112 in 1970 → $255 in 1980) ≈ $183/mo × 3 = $550.
Food (2025): GSA Key West M&IE $86/day → $7,826 [https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates](https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates)
Food (1976): Scaled by BLS CPI “Food Away From Home” index (1976 58.169 → 2025 380.452) → $86 / 6.54 ≈ $13.15/day → $1,197.
Bar drinks (2025): Amigos Tortilla Bar margarita $9.99 → 3 × 91 = $2,727.
Bar drinks (1976): CPI Alcohol Away From Home (1977→2025 ≈ 6.5×) → $9.99 / 6.5 ≈ $1.54 per drink → $419 for the season.
Home drinks (2025): Homemade margarita ≈ $2.56 each → $933.
Home drinks (1976): CPI Alcohol at Home (1977→2025 ≈ 3.2×) → $0.80 each → $291.
Tattoo (2025): Local shop minimums $100–$150 → $125 average.
Tattoo (1976): Typical small tattoo price $20–$40 → $25 average.
Minimum wages: 1976 =$2.30 /hr (DOL history); 2025 =$7.25 /hr (federal);
TOOL: ChatGPT Pro
Margflation is out of control
I love this. Many income-based statistics would be better understood be folks at all income levels if it were boiled down to time because we are all aware of how finite it is.
Interesting? Sure. Easy to read? I’ve seen worse. Beautiful? Absolutely not.
Florida’s minimum wage is $14.00/hour. $7.25 is just federal.
This is the worst set of statistical comparisons I’ve ever seen, jesus christ.
And how many people make minimum wage in 1976 and today?
You forgot the price of 1 flip flop and 1 emergency room visit related to a heel injury!
“you need 3,000 hours of minimum-wage work just to sit on the beach and drink margaritas all day”
In what world of misplaced expectations is this a viable goal for a minimum wage job?
Lol, as though he would be renting a 1-br alone. Young drifters typically sleep on each other’s couches, split rent 10 ways, or camp on the beach.
Heck, many campsites even have power to plug in your blender.