Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Tampa, FL

For one person, living costs are similar in Elizabeth, NJ and in Tampa, FL: $3,186 and $3,108 a month, rent and utilities included.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index
150

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

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Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elizabeth, NJ 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 Elizabeth, NJ and in Tampa, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $3,108 in Tampa, FL.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Tampa, FL $3,108

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $4,608 in Tampa, FL.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Tampa, FL $4,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $6,108 in Tampa, FL.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Tampa, FL $6,108

Living in Elizabeth, NJ is roughly 3% more expensive than in Tampa, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elizabeth, NJ 135% above, Tampa, FL 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$20.39 $20.39

-3.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$76.0 $76.0

5.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$11.97 $11.97

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$5.95 $5.95

-8.40%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$3.03 $3.03

-19.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.36 $2.36

-36.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$7.08 $7.08

9.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$9.01 $9.01

-20.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.23 $1.23

3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.87 $3.87

16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$4.95 $4.95

20.40%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$3.46 $3.46

88.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$14.09 $14.09

8.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$11.09 $11.09

6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$20.34 $20.34

-3.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$5.52 $5.52

7.79%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.76 $1.76

101.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.38 $3.38

24.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.98 $3.98

36.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.66 $2.66

12.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.07 $3.07

-3.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.33 $2.33

28.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.41 $2.41

4.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$9.25 $9.25

58.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$14.97 $14.97

2.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.60 $2.60

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$5.45 $5.45

-37.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.95 $1.95

47.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$66.1 $66.1

14.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.52 $2.52

15.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.54 $1.54

37.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$20.26 $20.26

109.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.01 $1.01

7.92%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$32.5K $32.5K

-14.07%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.55%

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

$247 $247

$204 $204

21.15%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$74.2 $74.2

-31.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$77.0 $77.0

-34.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$49.67 $49.67

-50.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 $20.43

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$15.73 $15.73

27.34%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$1,462 $1,462

37.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$21.8K $21.8K

-25.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$56.8 $56.8

-12.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$43.51 $43.51

78.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$88.0 $88.0

-0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

-0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$2,355 $2,355

-7.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$1,681 $1,681

2.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$3,857 $3,857

-30.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$2,979 $2,979

-16.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$5,498 $5,498

-76.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$2,154 $2,154

-46.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$4,704 $4,704

-15.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.4

4.22%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tampa, FL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Tampa, FL

$1.7K 54.1% 2.1% $36

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Tampa, FL

$421 13.6% 11.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Tampa, FL

$355 11.4% 2% $6.9

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Tampa, FL

$345 11.1% 5.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Tampa, FL

$140 4.5% 7.9% $12

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Tampa, FL

$84 2.7% 16.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Tampa, FL

$81 2.6% 25.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $2,355 in Tampa, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tampa, FL pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $76.0 in Tampa, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $421 per month, with Tampa, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

Same time as Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

332,888

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Elizabeth, NJ Tampa, FL 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth, NJ
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

Elizabeth, NJ vs Tampa, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth, NJ and Tampa, FL differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $3,108 including rent). Tampa, FL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Tampa, FL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $2,355 in Tampa, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,462 in Tampa, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Tampa, FL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Tampa, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.