Cost of Living in Tampa

In the last few years, more and more people have started to take notice of Tampa. The city has gone through a lot of changes in recent years. While it is still a relatively small city with around 400,000 residents, things are changing rapidly. To understand how much things cost in this growing city, we’ll look at the cost of living in Tampa for the past year.

Housing

According to PayScale.com, housing costs in Tampa are 11% less than the national average. However, this number will likely change as the Tampa area is seeing some of the largest rent gains in the nation. Compared to other cities of its size and resources, it is still a relatively good deal to live in Tampa than in San Francisco, New York, or Seattle, where the prices are much higher.

Groceries

Compared to the national average, the cost of groceries in Tampa is 3% more than the national average. However, there are some ways to drive down some of these grocery costs. Tampa Bay is home to many different grocery chains and warehouse stores, so it is worth the effort required to look around to shop the weekly sales and compare grocery prices. There are also a number of discount grocery stores, such as Smart Shopper Discount Grocery Store and farmer’s markets, such as Sanwa Farmer’s Market, where prices are notably less.

Transportation

In Tampa, transportation costs are 2% less than the national average. This is likely due to the fact that most residents do not rely on paying for monthly transportation. Some people live in areas where they can walk to where they want to go, such as those living in South Hyde Park, Downtown Tampa, Ybor, and Seminole Heights. Most people drive a car and the gas prices in Florida are often lower than in other parts of the country.

Tampa has a diverse economy, with several large companies headquartered in the area, as well as a large tourism industry. These industries have different purchasing patterns than the nation as a whole, which makes the cost of living in Tampa different from the national average. Additionally, the Tampa metropolitan area has a much higher cost of living than in many other parts of Florida.