Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

Tampa, FL, United States
Long Island, NY, United States
Tampa, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,029
/mo nomad
Long Island, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,225
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tampa, FL and in Long Island, NY

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 Long Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tampa, FL is about 28% cheaper than Long Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.72 $19.72
$25.14 $25.14
-21.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.1 $76.1
$98.5 $98.5
-22.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.21 $12.21
$10.99 $10.99
11.10%
Cappuccino
$5.78 $5.78
$5.08 $5.08
13.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 $3.15
$2.14 $2.14
47.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 $2.37
$1.58 $1.58
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.06 $7.06
$8.02 $8.02
-11.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.86 $8.86
$7.91 $7.91
12.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.32 $1.32
-3.79%
White Bread (500g)
$3.96 $3.96
$4.26 $4.26
-7.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.99 $4.99
$1.94 $1.94
157.22%
Eggs
$3.55 $3.55
$5.26 $5.26
-32.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$7.21 $7.21
96.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.23 $11.23
$11.89 $11.89
-5.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.68 $20.68
$16.22 $16.22
27.50%
Apples (1kg)
$5.58 $5.58
$4.27 $4.27
30.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.20 $1.20
47.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.07 $2.07
60.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$6.16 $6.16
-38.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.07 $1.07
140.19%
Onion (1kg)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.18 $2.18
41.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 $2.45
$1.48 $1.48
65.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$2.85 $2.85
-16.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.31 $9.31
$11.85 $11.85
-21.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.73 $14.73
$17.58 $17.58
-16.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$1.76 $1.76
47.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.40 $5.40
$4.09 $4.09
32.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.04 $2.04
$2.97 $2.97
-31.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 $65.2
$130 $130
-49.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.99 $2.99
-15.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 $1.52
$2.00 $2.00
-24.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.99 $19.99
$24.41 $24.41
-18.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.11 $1.11
-7.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.9K $32.9K
$27.5K $27.5K
19.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$26.3K $26.3K
1.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$209 $209
$192 $192
8.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$72.3 $72.3
$48.26 $48.26
49.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.0 $77.0
$53.7 $53.7
43.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.66 $45.66
$31.30 $31.30
45.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.76 $20.76
$102 $102
-79.63%
Cinema Ticket
$15.77 $15.77
$14.69 $14.69
7.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,451 $1,451
$2,444 $2,444
-40.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.0K $22.0K
$23.5K $23.5K
-6.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.4 $55.4
$40.07 $40.07
38.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.36 $44.36
$56.7 $56.7
-21.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.9 $88.9
$76.3 $76.3
16.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$155 $155
-22.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,202 $2,202
$3,189 $3,189
-30.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 $1,608
$2,820 $2,820
-42.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,835 $3,835
$5,670 $5,670
-32.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,781 $2,781
$4,315 $4,315
-35.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,140 $6,140
$5,973 $5,973
2.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,270 $2,270
$4,241 $4,241
-46.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tampa, FL
Long Island, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,639 $4,639
$4,981 $4,981
-6.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.4
6.63
-3.47%

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

Last update for Tampa, FL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tampa, FL
$1.6K
Long Island, NY
$2.8K 75.4% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Tampa, FL
$424
Long Island, NY
$382 9.9% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tampa, FL
$358
Long Island, NY
$294 18% $64
Eating Out
Tampa, FL
$339
Long Island, NY
$366 8% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Tampa, FL
$139
Long Island, NY
$148 6.4% $8.9
Getting Around
Tampa, FL
$84
Long Island, NY
$154 84.8% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Tampa, FL
$77
Long Island, NY
$61 21.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,202 in Tampa, FL versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY. 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 $76 in Tampa, FL versus $99 in Long Island, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $424 in Tampa, FL vs $382 in Long Island, NY – so Long Island, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Tampa, FL
🇺🇸 Long Island, NY
🕒 Local time
04:24 4:24 AM
04:24 4:24 AM
Same time as Tampa, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
332,888
7,804,968
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tampa, FL Long Island, NY 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tampa, FL
  • Long Island, NY

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 Long Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tampa, FL and in Long Island, NY compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,029 in Tampa, FL, $4,225 in Long Island, NY – Tampa, FL comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Tampa, FL compared to Long Island, NY?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,543 per month in Tampa, FL and $6,337 in Long Island, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tampa, FL and Long Island, NY?
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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Tampa, FL and Long Island, NY?
Kindergarten costs $1,451 per month in Tampa, FL and $2,444 in Long Island, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Long Island, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,029 in Tampa, FL and $4,225 in Long Island, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Tampa, FL or Long Island, NY?
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.
How do I decide between Tampa, FL and Long Island, NY?
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.

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