Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

151

Cost of Living Index in Tampa, FL
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Tampa, FL Living Index
139

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

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Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,101

/mo nomad

Nashville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tampa, FL and in Nashville, TN

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 Nashville, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Tampa, FL is roughly 9% more expensive than in Nashville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$18.45 $18.45

7.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$84.1 $84.1

-9.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 $11.77

$12.21 $12.21

-3.60%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$6.61 $6.61

-10.89%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$2.88 $2.88

9.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 $7.18

$6.91 $6.91

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.08 $9.08

$7.98 $7.98

13.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.14 $1.14

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.93 $3.93

-1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.96 $3.96

25.00%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$4.31 $4.31

-16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$12.91 $12.91

8.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$14.24 $14.24

-21.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$18.32 $18.32

8.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.69 $5.69

-5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.52 $1.52

20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.23 $4.23

-19.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$5.08 $5.08

-22.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.59 $2.59

2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.02 $3.02

-3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.26 $2.26

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.33 $2.33

0.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.30 $9.30

$10.39 $10.39

-10.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$15.51 $15.51

-1.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.37 $2.37

13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.66 $4.66

19.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.03 $2.03

-4.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 $65.9

$64.7 $64.7

1.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$5.09 $5.09

-50.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.59 $1.59

-8.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 $20.27

$20.80 $20.80

-2.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.00 $1.00

3.00%

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

$38.0K $38.0K

$36.7K $36.7K

3.33%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

0.86%

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

$210 $210

$232 $232

-9.45%

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

$72.7 $72.7

$74.0 $74.0

-1.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 $76.3

$74.8 $74.8

1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.50 $48.50

$55.2 $55.2

-12.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.87 $20.87

$14.44 $14.44

44.53%

Cinema Ticket

$16.60 $16.60

$14.87 $14.87

11.63%

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

$1,448 $1,448

$1,475 $1,475

-1.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K $21.8K

$30.9K $30.9K

-29.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$55.5 $55.5

2.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 $44.36

$43.06 $43.06

3.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 $89.4

$91.7 $91.7

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$139 $139

-11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 $2,282

$1,999 $1,999

14.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 $1,674

$1,380 $1,380

21.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,949 $3,949

$4,438 $4,438

-11.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,921 $2,921

$2,422 $2,422

20.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,383 $5,383

$8,035 $8,035

-33.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,223 $2,223

$2,673 $2,673

-16.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,852 $4,852

$4,645 $4,645

4.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.55

-2.29%

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

Last update for Tampa, FL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nashville, TN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tampa, FL

$1.7K 54%

Nashville, TN

$1.4K 48.5% 17.5% $294

Groceries & Markets

Tampa, FL

$421 13.6%

Nashville, TN

$432 15.2% 2.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tampa, FL

$359 11.6%

Nashville, TN

$381 13.4% 6.1% $22

Eating Out

Tampa, FL

$341 11%

Nashville, TN

$335 11.8% 1.7% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Tampa, FL

$141 4.6%

Nashville, TN

$148 5.2% 4.9% $6.9

Getting Around

Tampa, FL

$84 2.7%

Nashville, TN

$86 3% 2.8% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tampa, FL

$82 2.6%

Nashville, TN

$85 3% 3.9% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,282 in Tampa, FL and $1,999 in Nashville, TN. 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: $76.0 in Tampa, FL vs $84.0 in Nashville, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $432 per month, with Tampa, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 Nashville, TN

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

11:14 11:14 AM

1 h behind Tampa, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

332,888

689,447

💱 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

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

From you

Tampa, FL
Nashville, TN

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 Nashville, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 4% higher in Tampa, FL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,282 in Tampa, FL versus $1,999 in Nashville, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,448 in Tampa, FL versus $1,475 in Nashville, TN. 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.