PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Gas prices throughout the state of Florida are continuing to rise.
In Port St. Lucie, the average is now $3.19, according to AAA.
In West Palm Beach, that number is $3.31.
Those averages are both more than a dollar more when compared to a year ago.
It's a painful reality punishing the pockets of drivers commuting to work.
"Sometimes, $500 to 600 a week traveling back and forth for the job," said Abdul Alto, owner of Abby's Brush, a Treasure Coast painting and pressure washing business. "We go all the way up to Titusville and we go down as far as West Palm Beach."
Alto said the steady gas price hikes over the last year have forced him to change cars.
"I kinda got a smaller vehicle for that reason," said Alto. "I had a Ford Expedition and that's a gas guzzler, so it gets good gas mileage. I'm getting 33, you know, 32 (miles) to the gallon."
"I wanted to get something specifically good on gas," said Robyn Delrosario.
Delrosario said she commutes about 60 miles round trip to work each day in Jupiter.
"Five days a week," said Delrosario. "It's frustrating having to re-budget every paycheck because the gas prices keep going up."
"It comes out of the job that we're doing," said Alto.
Experts said demand for gasoline is now outpacing supply as Floridians head back to work.
They expect the price spike to last through the holiday season.