Cost of living in Tampa: rent, home prices and salary needed
The cost of living in Tampa sits 0.9% higher than the US average. For 2024, the RPP from BEA covering the Tampa, FL metro area is 100.9. The US is at 100, and housing on its own is at 125.8.
- Level of prices
- 100.9US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 125.8. Rent levels, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Tampa
A regional price parity sets the US average at 100. It then compares that benchmark with what an identical basket of goods and services costs in a single place. BEA prices the whole Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area as one, and Tampa is part of it. Housing (rents) sits furthest from the US average, reaching 125.8, or 25.8% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Tampa, FL metro | Florida | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 100.9 | 103.4 | +0.9% |
| Goods | 95.5 | 98.1 | −4.5% |
| Housing (rents) | 125.8 | 122.1 | +25.8% |
| Utilities | 88.5 | 90.1 | −11.5% |
| Other services | 97.6 | 101.3 | −2.4% |
The 2024 metro and state price parities come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA regional price parities
Tampa rent
Asking rent in Tampa typically runs $1,930 a month, according to the ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index). That index tracks rent on homes listed now, and it is −0.7% on a year. In the US, the figure is $1,932. Census reports a median gross rent of $1,898. That figure counts all renting households, not just new leases. Twelve months of asking rent equals 28% of median household income.
| Rent | Tampa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,930 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | −0.7% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,898 | $1,487 |
| Share of median income taken by one year of asking rent | 28% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; one-year estimates from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024.
Tampa home prices
In September 2026, the typical home in Tampa was valued at $375,619 by the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), which measures a home in the middle of the market. Year over year, that figure rose +0.4%, while the US number stood at $366,157. The cost comes to 4.5 years of median household income, and the US figure is 4.5.
| Home prices | Tampa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $375,619 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +0.4% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +108.1% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 16.2 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast and a price chart going back to 2000: Tampa housing market.
The salary needed to live in Tampa
Two things set the Tampa salary that buys what your pay buys now: your address and your earnings.
- Moving away from
- Salary
Every city side by side, plus the method: cost of living by city.
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Tampa cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Typical rent figure | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa | 100.9 | 125.8 | $1,930 | $375,619 |
| Jacksonville | 99.5 | 109.8 | $1,589 | $284,832 |
| Miami | 114.2 | 155.6 | $2,965 | $583,705 |
| Orlando | 101.4 | 123.4 | $1,889 | $372,775 |
| St. Petersburg | 100.9 | 125.8 | $2,039 | $351,862 |
| Fort Lauderdale | 114.2 | 155.6 | $2,697 | $509,743 |
| West Palm Beach | 114.2 | 155.6 | $2,365 | $404,711 |
| Boca Raton | 114.2 | 155.6 | $2,967 | $580,267 |
| Fort Myers | 102.3 | 125.1 | $1,719 | $304,566 |
Price levels come from BEA regional price parities, 2024, with the US set at 100. Rent data: Zillow ZORI. Home value comes from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
Every city ranked: city cost of living comparison. Each state: living costs by state.