Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nashville, TN and Tampa, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Nashville, TN: $2,847 a month against $3,101 in Tampa, FL, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tampa, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

139

Cost of Living Index in Nashville, TN
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Nashville, TN Living Index
151

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

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Nashville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,847

/mo nomad

Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,101

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,847 in Nashville, TN versus $3,101 in Tampa, FL.

Nashville, TN $2,847
Tampa, FL $3,101

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,247 in Nashville, TN versus $4,572 in Tampa, FL.

Nashville, TN $4,247
Tampa, FL $4,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,647 in Nashville, TN versus $6,044 in Tampa, FL.

Nashville, TN $5,647
Tampa, FL $6,044

Living in Nashville, TN costs roughly 8% less than in Tampa, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nashville, TN 111% above, Tampa, FL 130% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.45 $18.45

$19.83 $19.83

-6.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 $84.1

$76.1 $76.1

10.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$11.77 $11.77

3.74%

Cappuccino

$6.61 $6.61

$5.89 $5.89

12.22%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.16 $3.16

-8.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 $6.91

$7.18 $7.18

-3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$9.08 $9.08

-12.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.26 $1.26

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.88 $3.88

1.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.95 $4.95

-20.00%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$3.59 $3.59

20.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 $12.91

$14.07 $14.07

-8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.24 $14.24

$11.12 $11.12

28.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.32 $18.32

$19.94 $19.94

-8.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.69 $5.69

$5.38 $5.38

5.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.83 $1.83

-16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.41 $3.41

24.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.96 $3.96

28.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.66 $2.66

-2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.92 $2.92

3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.36 $2.36

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.34 $2.34

-0.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 $10.39

$9.30 $9.30

11.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 $15.51

$15.21 $15.21

1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.68 $2.68

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 $4.66

$5.57 $5.57

-16.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.94 $1.94

4.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 $64.7

$65.9 $65.9

-1.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.52 $2.52

101.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.46 $1.46

8.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.80 $20.80

$20.27 $20.27

2.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.03 $1.03

-2.91%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$38.0K $38.0K

-3.23%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.3K $27.3K

-0.86%

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

$232 $232

$210 $210

10.44%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$72.7 $72.7

1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.8 $74.8

$76.3 $76.3

-1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 $55.2

$48.50 $48.50

13.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.44 $14.44

$20.87 $20.87

-30.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$16.60 $16.60

-10.42%

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

$1,475 $1,475

$1,448 $1,448

1.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K $30.9K

$21.8K $21.8K

41.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$57.0 $57.0

-2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.06 $43.06

$44.36 $44.36

-2.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 $91.7

$89.4 $89.4

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$123 $123

12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 $1,999

$2,282 $2,282

-12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 $1,380

$1,674 $1,674

-17.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,438 $4,438

$3,949 $3,949

12.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 $2,422

$2,921 $2,921

-17.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,035 $8,035

$5,383 $5,383

49.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,673 $2,673

$2,223 $2,223

20.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,645 $4,645

$4,852 $4,852

-4.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.4

2.34%

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

Last update for Nashville, TN: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tampa, FL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nashville, TN

$1.4K 48.5%

Tampa, FL

$1.7K 54% 21.3% $294

Groceries & Markets

Nashville, TN

$432 15.2%

Tampa, FL

$421 13.6% 2.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nashville, TN

$381 13.4%

Tampa, FL

$359 11.6% 5.7% $22

Eating Out

Nashville, TN

$335 11.8%

Tampa, FL

$341 11% 1.7% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Nashville, TN

$148 5.2%

Tampa, FL

$141 4.6% 4.7% $6.9

Getting Around

Nashville, TN

$86 3%

Tampa, FL

$84 2.7% 2.7% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nashville, TN

$85 3%

Tampa, FL

$82 2.6% 3.8% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,999 in Nashville, TN and $2,282 in Tampa, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tampa, FL pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Nashville, TN vs $76.0 in Tampa, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $421 per month, with Tampa, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Nashville, TN

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

1 h ahead of Nashville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

689,447

332,888

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Nashville, TN Tampa, FL 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nashville, TN
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

Nashville, TN vs Tampa, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nashville, TN and Tampa, FL differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,847 vs $3,101 including rent). Nashville, TN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,999 in Nashville, TN versus $2,282 in Tampa, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,475 in Nashville, TN versus $1,448 in Tampa, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tampa, FL pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Nashville, TN 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 Nashville, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Tampa, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.