Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampa, FL and Plano, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Plano, TX: $2,597 a month against $3,108 in Tampa, FL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Tampa, FL
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Tampa, FL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Plano, TX
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Plano, TX Living Index

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Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,108

/mo nomad

Plano, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tampa, FL and in Plano, TX

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 Plano, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,108 in Tampa, FL versus $2,597 in Plano, TX.

Tampa, FL $3,108
Plano, TX $2,597

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,608 in Tampa, FL versus $4,016 in Plano, TX.

Tampa, FL $4,608
Plano, TX $4,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,108 in Tampa, FL versus $5,435 in Plano, TX.

Tampa, FL $6,108
Plano, TX $5,435

Living in Tampa, FL is roughly 20% more expensive than in Plano, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tampa, FL 129% above, Plano, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$19.95 $19.95

2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$77.1 $77.1

-1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 $11.97

$10.19 $10.19

17.47%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$5.51 $5.51

7.99%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$2.66 $2.66

13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.35 $2.35

0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$6.80 $6.80

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.65 $7.65

17.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.95 $0.95

29.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 $3.87

$3.22 $3.22

20.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.83 $4.83

2.48%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$4.81 $4.81

-28.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$13.31 $13.31

5.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$11.29 $11.29

-1.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.34 $20.34

$18.73 $18.73

8.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.58 $4.58

20.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.55 $1.55

13.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.79 $2.79

21.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.03 $3.03

31.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.32 $2.32

14.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.51 $2.51

22.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.92 $1.92

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.83 $2.83

-14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 $9.25

$10.21 $10.21

-9.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$15.91 $15.91

-5.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.71 $1.71

52.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.22 $3.22

69.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$4.61 $4.61

-57.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 $66.1

$106 $106

-37.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.91 $2.91

-13.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.73 $1.73

-10.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 $20.26

$14.92 $14.92

35.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.92 $0.92

9.78%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

19.88%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.28%

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

$204 $204

$194 $194

5.40%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$47.18 $47.18

57.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 $77.0

$54.7 $54.7

40.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 $49.67

$91.8 $91.8

-45.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 $20.43

$3.93 $3.93

419.85%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 $15.73

$15.01 $15.01

4.80%

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

$1,462 $1,462

$1,312 $1,312

11.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K $21.8K

$24.3K $24.3K

-10.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 $56.8

$58.5 $58.5

-2.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.51 $43.51

$37.94 $37.94

14.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$87.2 $87.2

0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$68.3 $68.3

78.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,355 $2,355

$1,550 $1,550

51.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 $1,681

$1,212 $1,212

38.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,857 $3,857

$2,748 $2,748

40.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,979 $2,979

$2,374 $2,374

25.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,498 $5,498

$2,365 $2,365

132.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,154 $2,154

$2,423 $2,423

-11.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,704 $4,704

$5,756 $5,756

-18.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.51

-1.69%

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

Last update for Tampa, FL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Plano, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tampa, FL

$1.7K 54.1%

Plano, TX

$1.2K 46.7% 27.9% $469

Groceries & Markets

Tampa, FL

$421 13.6%

Plano, TX

$392 15.1% 7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tampa, FL

$355 11.4%

Plano, TX

$296 11.4% 16.8% $60

Eating Out

Tampa, FL

$345 11.1%

Plano, TX

$326 12.5% 5.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Tampa, FL

$140 4.5%

Plano, TX

$113 4.4% 18.8% $26

Getting Around

Tampa, FL

$84 2.7%

Plano, TX

$136 5.3% 62.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Tampa, FL

$81 2.6%

Plano, TX

$122 4.7% 50.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,355 in Tampa, FL and $1,550 in Plano, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plano, TX pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Tampa, FL vs $77.0 in Plano, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $421 vs $392, with Plano, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 Plano, TX

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

21:15 9:15 PM

1 h behind Tampa, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

332,888

288,253

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tampa, FL Plano, TX 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tampa, FL
Plano, TX

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 Plano, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plano, TX is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Plano, TX. 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: $2,355 in Tampa, FL versus $1,550 in Plano, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,462 in Tampa, FL versus $1,312 in Plano, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Tampa, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Plano, TX 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 Plano, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Tampa, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.