Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and Tampa, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Tampa, FL: $3,029 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
Learn more

Long Island, NY Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Tampa, FL
Learn more

Tampa, FL Living Index

Jump to prices

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,225 per month in Long Island, NY vs $3,029 in Tampa, FL, rent included.

Long Island, NY $4,225
Tampa, FL $3,029

A couple spends around $5,930 per month in Long Island, NY vs $4,461 in Tampa, FL, rent included.

Long Island, NY $5,930
Tampa, FL $4,461

A family of three spends $7,634 per month in Long Island, NY vs $5,893 in Tampa, FL, rent included.

Long Island, NY $7,634
Tampa, FL $5,893

Long Island, NY costs about 39% more than Tampa, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Long Island, NY and Tampa, FL sit above the global median – Long Island, NY by 210%, Tampa, FL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$19.72 $19.72

27.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$76.1 $76.1

29.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$12.21 $12.21

-9.99%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$5.78 $5.78

-12.11%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$3.15 $3.15

-32.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.37 $2.37

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$7.06 $7.06

13.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.86 $8.86

-10.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.27 $1.27

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.96 $3.96

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$4.99 $4.99

-61.12%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$3.55 $3.55

48.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$14.16 $14.16

-49.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$11.23 $11.23

5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$20.68 $20.68

-21.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$5.58 $5.58

-23.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.77 $1.77

-32.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.33 $3.33

-37.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.80 $3.80

62.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.57 $2.57

-58.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.08 $3.08

-29.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.45 $2.45

-39.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.39 $2.39

19.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$9.31 $9.31

27.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.58 $17.58

$14.73 $14.73

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.60 $2.60

-32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$5.40 $5.40

-24.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.04 $2.04

45.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$65.2 $65.2

98.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.54 $2.54

17.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.52 $1.52

31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.41 $24.41

$19.99 $19.99

22.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.03 $1.03

7.77%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$32.9K $32.9K

-16.47%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.37%

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

$192 $192

$209 $209

-8.24%

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

$48.26 $48.26

$72.3 $72.3

-33.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$77.0 $77.0

-30.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 $31.30

$45.66 $45.66

-31.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$102 $102

$20.76 $20.76

390.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$15.77 $15.77

-6.85%

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

$2,444 $2,444

$1,451 $1,451

68.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$22.0K $22.0K

6.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.07 $40.07

$55.4 $55.4

-27.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$44.36 $44.36

27.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$88.9 $88.9

-14.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$120 $120

29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 $3,189

$2,202 $2,202

44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$1,608 $1,608

75.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,670 $5,670

$3,835 $3,835

47.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,315 $4,315

$2,781 $2,781

55.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 $5,973

$6,140 $6,140

-2.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$2,270 $2,270

86.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,981 $4,981

$4,639 $4,639

7.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.4

3.59%

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

Last update for Long Island, NY: 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

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8%

Tampa, FL

$1.6K 53.1% 43% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$382 9%

Tampa, FL

$424 14% 10.9% $42

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7%

Tampa, FL

$339 11.2% 7.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$294 7%

Tampa, FL

$358 11.8% 22% $64

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7%

Tampa, FL

$84 2.8% 45.9% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5%

Tampa, FL

$139 4.6% 6% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4%

Tampa, FL

$77 2.6% 27.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,189 in Long Island, NY 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 7% higher in Long Island, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Long Island, NY versus $76 in Tampa, FL. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Long Island, NY vs $424 in Tampa, FL – so Long Island, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

Same time as Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

332,888

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Long Island, NY Tampa, FL 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Long Island, NY
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

Long Island, NY vs Tampa, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,225 in Long Island, NY, $3,029 in Tampa, FL – Tampa, FL comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,337 per month in Long Island, NY 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 Tampa, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,202 there versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY.

Kindergarten costs $2,444 per month in Long Island, NY and $1,451 in Tampa, FL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Long Island, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,225 in Long Island, NY and $3,029 in Tampa, FL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Tampa, FL – 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 Tampa, FL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Long Island, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.