Cost of Living in Tampa Is Second Lowest in Florida

Come to Tampa.  Have a unique blend of the cosmopolitan and the rustic, and at the same time enjoy the second lowest cost of living indexes among 13 major metropolitan areas in Florida.

Based on price data gathered and analyzed by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) over the one-year period from the third quarter of 2011 to the third quarter of 2012, Tampa has a cost of living index of 92.3, lower by 7.7 points than 100, which is the average cost of living index in the U.S.  It is much lower than the indexes in Florida’s other large cities, Orlando and Miami.

The index indicates relative price levels for housing, groceries, utilities, housing, health and miscellaneous goods and services in the metropolitan area.  It also considers the price levels of specific consumer items such as whole milk, frozen meal, pizza, cornflakes, eggs, potatoes, hamburger, toothpaste, detergent, gasoline, dentist visit and doctor visit.

Here’s the cost of living indexes of 13 major metropolitan areas in Florida for the period from the third quarter of 2011 to the third quarter of 2012.

Definitely, the lower cost of living in Tampa can be appreciated even more if it is compared with costs of living in bigger cities such as New York and San Francisco. Here are the metropolitan areas with the highest cost of living  indexes over the same one-year period:

Many of the 13 metropolitan areas in Florida had affordable housing costs over the one-year period, with almost all of the areas having an index lower than 100 points.  Only the Miami area and Fort Lauderdale surpassed the 100-point level. The weight of housing costs in the composite index is 29.27%.

The cost index of Tampa for the six index factors that compose the composite index are the following:

Find your own paradise in Tampa. Call or email [email protected] or search our website tampa4u.com.  BEAUTIFUL HOMES FOR SALE in TAMPA.