Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

144

Cost of Living Index in Tampa, FL
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Tampa, FL Living Index
125

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

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Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,029

/mo nomad

Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tampa, FL costs about 16% more than Bethlehem, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$18.20 $18.20

8.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$49.94 $49.94

52.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$13.05 $13.05

-6.44%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.05 $5.05

14.46%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.92 $2.92

7.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.89 $1.89

25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$5.21 $5.21

35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$8.23 $8.23

7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.12 $1.12

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.06 $4.06

-2.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.92 $3.92

27.30%

Eggs

$3.55 $3.55

$4.28 $4.28

-17.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.02 $12.02

17.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$16.27 $16.27

-30.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.68 $20.68

$18.33 $18.33

12.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$6.14 $6.14

-9.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.32 $1.32

34.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.22 $4.22

-21.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.16 $4.16

-8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.15 $2.15

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.62 $2.62

17.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.69 $2.69

-8.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.89 $1.89

26.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.31 $9.31

$9.78 $9.78

-4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$17.99 $17.99

-18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.72 $1.72

51.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.82 $6.82

-20.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 $65.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$5.04 $5.04

-49.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.96 $2.96

-48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 $19.99

$34.65 $34.65

-42.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.98 $0.98

5.10%

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

$32.9K $32.9K

$23.2K $23.2K

41.94%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.0K $24.0K

11.12%

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

$209 $209

$207 $207

0.78%

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

$72.3 $72.3

$39.06 $39.06

85.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 $77.0

$79.1 $79.1

-2.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.66 $45.66

$36.66 $36.66

24.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.76 $20.76

Cinema Ticket

$15.77 $15.77

$14.83 $14.83

6.34%

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

$1,451 $1,451

$985 $985

47.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K $22.0K

$64.4K $64.4K

-65.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$54.0 $54.0

2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 $44.36

$30.28 $30.28

46.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 $88.9

$65.8 $65.8

35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$84.9 $84.9

41.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 $2,202

$1,573 $1,573

39.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$1,352 $1,352

18.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,835 $3,835

$2,184 $2,184

75.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,781 $2,781

$2,079 $2,079

33.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,140 $6,140

$2,187 $2,187

180.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,270 $2,270

$2,119 $2,119

7.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,639 $4,639

$3,649 $3,649

27.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.5

-1.54%

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

Last update for Tampa, FL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tampa, FL

$1.6K 53.1%

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 51.7% 15.9% $256

Groceries & Markets

Tampa, FL

$424 14%

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.7% 3.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tampa, FL

$358 11.8%

Bethlehem, PA

$326 12.5% 9.1% $33

Eating Out

Tampa, FL

$339 11.2%

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.8% 9.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Tampa, FL

$139 4.6%

Bethlehem, PA

$106 4.1% 23.9% $33

Getting Around

Tampa, FL

$84 2.8%

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8% 76.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Tampa, FL

$77 2.6%

Bethlehem, PA

$66 2.5% 14.1% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,202 in Tampa, FL versus $1,573 in Bethlehem, PA. 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 $76 in Tampa, FL versus $50 in Bethlehem, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $424 in Tampa, FL vs $437 in Bethlehem, PA – so Tampa, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

Same time as Tampa, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

332,888

75,624

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Tampa, FL
Bethlehem, PA

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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,543 per month in Tampa, FL and $3,919 in Bethlehem, PA. 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 $76 in Tampa, FL and $50 in Bethlehem, PA. 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.