Hillsborough County · Florida
Tampa cost of living (FL)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Tampa costs in line with the national average — all-items price level 100.9, rank 44 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,890 here. Housing is the reason, at 125.8.
- All items
- 100.9US average = 100
- Housing
- 125.825.8% above the national average
- Goods
- 95.54.5% below the national average
- Other services
- 97.62.4% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 95.5 | -4.5% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 125.8 | +25.8% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 88.5 | -11.5% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 97.6 | -2.4% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Tampa price level
What the 100.9 figure actually means for a household here.
Tampa prices sit 0.9% above the US average — an all-items parity of 100.9, rank 44 of 94 covered metros. Effectively the national average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 125.8, 25.8% above average. Utilities pull the other way at 88.5. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 37.3 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Tampa do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,890 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $71,302 median household income in Tampa is worth $70,673 in national-average dollars, 10.0% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Tampa, FL
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (100.9 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $70,673
- Needed to match US average
- $71,937
- Monthly difference
- $53
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$71,302 median household income in Tampa is worth $70,673 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 100.9.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Tampa expensive?
- Yes — 0.9% above the US average, rank 44 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 125.8.
- What salary do you need to live in Tampa, FL?
- $100,890 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $71,302, worth $70,673 after adjusting for the 100.9 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Tampa?
- Housing at 125.8 versus utilities at 88.5. A 37.3-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Tampa data
Other Tampa datasets on this site.
- Tampa population and income
- Tampa sales tax rate
- Tampa property tax
- Tampa home values and rent
- Tampa crime rates
- Tampa public schools
- Tampa weather normals
- Tampa commute times
- Tampa jobs and wages
Statewide: Florida cities · Florida ZIP codes · Florida sales tax · Florida counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.