Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethlehem, PA and Tampa, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethlehem, PA: $2,613 a month against $3,029 in Tampa, FL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Tampa, FL
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Tampa, FL Living Index

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Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,613

/mo nomad

Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bethlehem, PA and in Tampa, FL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bethlehem, PA and in Tampa, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,613 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $3,029 in Tampa, FL, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $2,613
Tampa, FL $3,029

A couple spends around $3,666 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $4,461 in Tampa, FL, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $3,666
Tampa, FL $4,461

A family of three spends $4,718 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $5,893 in Tampa, FL, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $4,718
Tampa, FL $5,893

Bethlehem, PA is about 14% cheaper than Tampa, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bethlehem, PA and Tampa, FL sit above the global median – Bethlehem, PA by 92%, Tampa, FL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 $18.20

$19.72 $19.72

-7.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.94 $49.94

$76.1 $76.1

-34.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.05 $13.05

$12.21 $12.21

6.88%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$5.78 $5.78

-12.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.15 $3.15

-7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.37 $2.37

-20.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.21 $5.21

$7.06 $7.06

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$8.86 $8.86

-7.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.27 $1.27

-11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.96 $3.96

2.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.99 $4.99

-21.44%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.55 $3.55

20.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$14.16 $14.16

-15.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 $16.27

$11.23 $11.23

44.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.33 $18.33

$20.68 $20.68

-11.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.58 $5.58

10.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.77 $1.77

-25.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.33 $3.33

26.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.80 $3.80

9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.57 $2.57

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.08 $3.08

-14.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.45 $2.45

9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.39 $2.39

-20.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.78 $9.78

$9.31 $9.31

5.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.99 $17.99

$14.73 $14.73

22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.60 $2.60

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$5.40 $5.40

26.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 $65.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.54 $2.54

98.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.52 $1.52

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.65 $34.65

$19.99 $19.99

73.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.03 $1.03

-4.85%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.2K $23.2K

$32.9K $32.9K

-29.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.0K $24.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

-10.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$207 $207

$209 $209

-0.77%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$39.06 $39.06

$72.3 $72.3

-45.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$77.0 $77.0

2.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 $36.66

$45.66 $45.66

-19.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.76 $20.76

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$15.77 $15.77

-5.96%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$985 $985

$1,451 $1,451

-32.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$64.4K $64.4K

$22.0K $22.0K

191.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$55.4 $55.4

-2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.28 $30.28

$44.36 $44.36

-31.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 $65.8

$88.9 $88.9

-25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 $84.9

$120 $120

-29.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$2,202 $2,202

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$1,608 $1,608

-15.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 $2,184

$3,835 $3,835

-43.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 $2,079

$2,781 $2,781

-25.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,187 $2,187

$6,140 $6,140

-64.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,119 $2,119

$2,270 $2,270

-6.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 $3,649

$4,639 $4,639

-21.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.4

1.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tampa, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 51.7%

Tampa, FL

$1.6K 53.1% 19% $256

Groceries & Markets

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.7%

Tampa, FL

$424 14% 3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethlehem, PA

$326 12.5%

Tampa, FL

$358 11.8% 10.1% $33

Eating Out

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.8%

Tampa, FL

$339 11.2% 10.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Bethlehem, PA

$106 4.1%

Tampa, FL

$139 4.6% 31.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Bethlehem, PA

$66 2.5%

Tampa, FL

$77 2.6% 16.4% $11

Getting Around

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8%

Tampa, FL

$84 2.8% 321% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,573 in Bethlehem, PA versus $2,202 in Tampa, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Tampa, FL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Bethlehem, PA versus $76 in Tampa, FL. Groceries tell a different story – $437 in Bethlehem, PA vs $424 in Tampa, FL – so Tampa, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

Same time as Bethlehem, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,624

332,888

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bethlehem, PA Tampa, FL 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bethlehem, PA
Tampa, FL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bethlehem, PA vs Tampa, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA, $3,029 in Tampa, FL – Bethlehem, PA comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,919 per month in Bethlehem, PA and $4,543 in Tampa, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bethlehem, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,573 there versus $2,202 in Tampa, FL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Bethlehem, PA and $76 in Tampa, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Tampa, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bethlehem, PA, where all-in costs run around $2,613, than in Tampa, FL at $3,029. In Bethlehem, PA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tampa, FL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bethlehem, PA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bethlehem, PA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tampa, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.