2 Bedroom Apartments in Orlando: What They Cost and What to Check
An Orlando two-bedroom guide with real numbers: what a 2BR costs in Southwest Orlando, how much square footage to expect, when a second bedroom beats a bigger one-bedroom, the costs left out of advertised rent, and what to verify before signing. Citi Lakes pricing checked 29 Sep 2026.
Two-bedroom apartments in Southwest Orlando currently run from about $1,778 to $1,997 per month at Citi Lakes, across six floor plans measuring 942 to 1,132 square feet, based on homes available as of September 29, 2026. That band is a useful anchor for the wider market: a two-bedroom in this part of Orlando is typically a four-figure commitment in the high $1,700s to low $2,000s, and the square footage behind the same "2BR" label can vary by close to 200 square feet. This guide covers what drives that spread, what the advertised rent leaves out, and what to verify before you sign. Citi Lakes is one Southwest Orlando option among many, and the figures here are its own.
What does a two-bedroom apartment cost in Orlando right now?
The honest answer is that "Orlando" is not one rental market. Downtown, Lake Nona, Winter Park and the International Drive corridor price differently, and a single citywide average hides more than it reveals. What is useful is a verified, dated band from a real community, and then the step-up logic between bedroom counts.
At Citi Lakes in Southwest Orlando, as of September 29, 2026:
One-bedroom apartments: $1,480 to $1,720 per month, across three floor plans
Two-bedroom apartments: $1,778 to $1,997 per month, 942 to 1,132 square feet, across six floor plans
Three-bedroom apartments: $2,212 to $2,306 per month, across two floor plans
Read those three bands together and the shape of the market becomes clear. The jump from the cheapest one-bedroom to the cheapest two-bedroom is roughly $298 a month. The jump from the most expensive one-bedroom to the cheapest two-bedroom is only about $58 — which is the single most useful number on this page, because it means a renter already shopping at the top of the one-bedroom range is often a rounding error away from a second bedroom. The step from the top two-bedroom to the entry three-bedroom is around $215.
For citywide context, Orlando's average one-bedroom rent was approximately $1,664 as of mid-2026. That is a one-bedroom figure, not a two-bedroom figure, and it should be used only as a sense of the floor rather than as a two-bedroom benchmark. Anyone quoting you a precise citywide two-bedroom average should be asked where it came from and when it was measured, because these numbers move quarterly.
Availability in Orlando moves weekly. Any price you read in a guide, including this one, is a snapshot with a date attached. Treat it as a starting point for a conversation with a leasing office, not as a quote.
Explore floor plans and pricing at Citi Lakes
How big is a two-bedroom apartment in Orlando?
Square footage is where two-bedroom shopping gets genuinely confusing, because the label is fixed and the floor plan is not.
The six two-bedroom plans at Citi Lakes span 942 to 1,132 square feet. That is a 190-square-foot difference between the smallest and largest home carrying the same bedroom count — roughly the size of a small bedroom, and enough to change whether a dining table, a desk and a sofa can all coexist.
That spread also inverts the price-per-square-foot maths in a way most renters do not expect. The entry two-bedroom works out to about $1.89 per square foot, while the top of the band works out to about $1.76. The more expensive home is the better value per square foot. If you are choosing on space rather than on the lowest advertised number, the larger plans frequently deserve a second look.
For Orlando generally, treat the 900 to 1,150 square foot range as the realistic expectation for a modern suburban two-bedroom. Below 900 square feet you are usually looking at an older building or a compact two-bed one-bath. Above 1,150 you are usually paying a premium for a corner unit, a den, or a townhome-style layout.
The question worth asking a leasing agent is not the square footage but the bathroom count. A two-bed two-bath and a two-bed one-bath can be within fifty square feet of each other and serve completely different households. Photographed two-bedroom homes at Citi Lakes are two-bed two-bath layouts, but floor plans vary within any community, so confirm the specific home rather than the plan type.
Two bedrooms, or one bedroom and a bigger budget?
Three situations make a two-bedroom the right call, and one makes it the wrong one.
Sharing with a roommate. Split the entry two-bedroom at $1,778 and each person is at roughly $889 a month, against $1,480 for the cheapest one-bedroom of their own. That is close to $591 a month saved per person, which over a twelve-month lease is the difference between saving and not saving. This is the strongest financial case for a two-bedroom in Orlando, and it depends entirely on the unit being a two-bath.
Working from home. A second bedroom used as an office is the cheapest square footage you will buy in Orlando. Against the top one-bedroom at $1,720, the entry two-bedroom at $1,778 adds a dedicated room for about $58 a month.
Regular guests. Orlando is a destination city. If family visit for the parks even three or four times a year, a spare room pays for itself against hotel nights along International Drive.
When a one-bedroom is still the better choice: if you live alone, work on-site, and rarely host, you are paying $298 a month — nearly $3,600 over a year — for a room you will use for storage. Buy the storage instead.
The costs that do not appear in the advertised rent
The advertised number is base rent. Your actual monthly outlay in Orlando is higher, and the gap is predictable enough to plan for.
Utilities. At Citi Lakes, utilities are billed by usage and are not included in the quoted rent. In Central Florida the summer air-conditioning load is the variable that matters, and a two-bedroom cooling a larger footprint costs more to run than a one-bedroom. Ask any community for a realistic recent range for the specific plan rather than a community-wide average.
Package handling. Citi Lakes bills a $20 annual package locker charge, separately from rent. Small, but it belongs in the total.
Internet and renters insurance. Neither is included in rent anywhere, and most Orlando communities require proof of renters insurance before handing over keys.
Pets. At Citi Lakes the cost is a $450 non-refundable deposit per pet plus $20 per month in pet rent, with a maximum of two pets and no weight limit. Rodents, reptiles and exotic animals are not permitted.
Rather than trusting a total someone else calculated for you, build your own: take the base rent for the specific home, add the leasing office's recent utility range for that plan, add your own internet and insurance quotes, and add any pet costs. That number is the one to compare across communities.
What to check before you sign a two-bedroom lease in Orlando
Confirm the bathroom count, not just the bedroom count. If you are sharing, a two-bed one-bath will undo the financial case for sharing within a month.
Ask which plan you are actually being quoted. Six plans across a 190-square-foot range means the "two-bedroom price" depends entirely on which home is available that week.
Ask what is billed by usage. Utilities, package handling and any recurring administrative charges should be itemised before you sign, not discovered on the first statement.
Check the pet weight limit specifically. Many Orlando communities cap pet weight. Citi Lakes does not impose one, which matters for large-breed owners. Breed policy is a separate question and should be confirmed with the leasing office.
Drive the commute at the hour you would actually drive it. Southwest Orlando's road network behaves very differently at 8am, at park closing, and on a convention week on International Drive.
Ask whether the property is smoke-free. Citi Lakes is a smoke-free community across units, balconies and shared spaces. If that matters to you, it is a lease term worth confirming in writing.
Where the two-bedrooms at Citi Lakes fit
Citi Lakes sits on two lakes at 12024 Meadow Bend Loop in Southwest Orlando, with six two-bedroom floor plans from $1,778 to $1,997 per month at 942 to 1,132 square feet as of September 29, 2026.
On the amenity side, the community has a zero-entry resort pool with cabanas, a dedicated spin studio separate from the fitness center, a fitness center, a resident clubhouse, a billiards room, a fenced dog park, an on-site pet wash station, and a lakeside gazebo. The entire property is smoke-free.
On the pet side, there is no weight limit, which is genuinely uncommon in this market, at $450 non-refundable per pet and $20 per month, up to two pets.
On the trade-off side, Southwest Orlando is car-dependent. This is not a walkable urban neighbourhood, and it is not a short daily drive to downtown Orlando in rush hour. Renters who want to walk to dinner or who commute downtown every morning should weigh that honestly before touring.
See all amenities at Citi Lakes
How far is Southwest Orlando from the theme parks and everyday errands?
Location is the main reason renters choose this corridor, and the drive times are short in a way that is hard to match elsewhere in the metro.
SeaWorld Orlando: about 9 minutes
Universal Orlando Resort: approximately 15 minutes
Walt Disney World Resort: roughly 20 to 25 minutes
Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets: about 9 minutes
International Drive: roughly 2 minutes
Publix at Regency Village: about 4 minutes
For anyone working in the theme park or hospitality sector, a single address within a 25-minute radius of all three major resort complexes is the practical argument for Southwest Orlando over a cheaper address further out.
Who a Southwest Orlando two-bedroom suits
Roommates and couples splitting rent, because the per-person maths on a two-bath two-bedroom beats two separate one-bedrooms decisively.
Theme park and hospitality workers, because the commute radius covers SeaWorld, Universal and Disney from one address.
Remote and hybrid workers who need a second room as an office and are comparing that against the cost of a larger one-bedroom.
Large-dog owners, because a community without a pet weight limit is a genuinely narrow filter in this market.
It suits less well renters who want walkability, renters commuting daily to downtown Orlando, and renters who need brand-new construction.
Citi Lakes is an AIR Communities property, and this guide is published by the community. Pricing, availability, fees and amenities were checked against the community's own published listings on September 29, 2026 and change frequently. Figures quoted here are for Citi Lakes and are not a survey of the wider Orlando market. Confirm current terms with the leasing office before making a decision.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a 2 bedroom apartment in Orlando?
In Southwest Orlando, two-bedroom apartments at Citi Lakes range from $1,778 to $1,997 per month across six floor plans, based on homes available as of September 29, 2026. Pricing varies significantly by neighbourhood across the wider Orlando metro, and availability changes weekly, so confirm current pricing directly with any community you are considering.
How many square feet is a typical 2 bedroom apartment in Orlando?
Plan on 900 to 1,150 square feet for a modern suburban two-bedroom. The six two-bedroom plans at Citi Lakes measure 942 to 1,132 square feet, a 190-square-foot spread within the same bedroom count.
Is a 2 bedroom apartment cheaper than two 1 bedroom apartments?
Substantially, if you are sharing. Splitting an entry two-bedroom at $1,778 puts each person at roughly $889 per month, against $1,480 for the cheapest one-bedroom at the same community. The saving only holds if the home has two bathrooms.
How much more does a 2 bedroom cost than a 1 bedroom in Orlando?
At Citi Lakes as of September 29, 2026, the cheapest two-bedroom is about $298 more than the cheapest one-bedroom, but only about $58 more than the most expensive one-bedroom. If you are already shopping at the top of the one-bedroom range, the second bedroom is cheaper than most renters assume.
Are utilities included in Orlando apartment rent?
Generally not. At Citi Lakes utilities are billed by usage and are not included in the quoted rent, and there is a separate $20 annual package locker charge. Budget internet and renters insurance on top of that.
What is the pet policy for two-bedroom apartments at Citi Lakes?
There is no pet weight limit, which is uncommon in the Orlando market. The cost is a $450 non-refundable deposit per pet plus $20 per month in pet rent, with a maximum of two pets. Rodents, reptiles and exotic animals are not permitted, and breed policy should be confirmed with the leasing office.
What amenities come with a two-bedroom at Citi Lakes?
Residents have access to a zero-entry resort pool with cabanas, a dedicated spin studio, a fitness center, a resident clubhouse, a billiards room, a fenced dog park, a pet wash station and a lakeside gazebo. The community is smoke-free throughout.
Are there 2 bedroom apartments near SeaWorld Orlando?
Yes. Citi Lakes at 12024 Meadow Bend Loop in Southwest Orlando is about 9 minutes from SeaWorld Orlando and offers six two-bedroom floor plans, which makes it one of the closer options for SeaWorld and International Drive employees.
How far is Southwest Orlando from Disney World and Universal?
From Citi Lakes, Universal Orlando Resort is approximately 15 minutes and Walt Disney World Resort roughly 20 to 25 minutes by car. Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets is about 9 minutes and International Drive about 2 minutes.
What should I check before signing a two-bedroom lease in Orlando?
Confirm the bathroom count, confirm which specific floor plan you are being quoted, ask what is billed by usage, check the pet weight limit and breed policy, drive the commute at the hour you would actually drive it, and confirm whether the property is smoke-free.