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Los Angeles vs Tampa cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Los Angeles
๐บ๐ธ Tampa
At a glance
- Where Tampa is clearly cheaper: Taxi (39%โ), Beer (30%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (30%โ)
- Where Los Angeles is clearly cheaper: Street food (15%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Tampa is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Los Angeles 2 vs Tampa 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Los Angeles | Tampa | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 18$18 | $ 20$20 | Los Angeles โ10% |
| Street food1 item | $ 11$11 | $ 13$13 | Los Angeles โ15% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 48$48 | $ 42$42 | Tampa โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | $ 5.4$5.4 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | $ 6.3$6.3 | Tampa โ30% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | $ 12$12 | Tampa โ29% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2$2 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 3$3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 18$18 | $ 11$11 | Tampa โ39% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 7$7 | Tampa โ30% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.75$1.75 | $ 2$2 | Los Angeles โ12% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 35$35 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | $ 180$180 | Tampa โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,100$2,100 | $ 1,600$1,600 | Tampa โ24% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 3.5$3.5 | Tampa โ12% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 26$26 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | Tampa โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 75$75 | $ 80$80 | Los Angeles โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 75$75 | $ 75$75 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 28$28 | $ 25$25 | Tampa โ11% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Tampa?
Tampa is 15% cheaper than Los Angeles. Daily budget $368 vs $326; a month $7,222 vs $5,919.
Which is easier to travel, Los Angeles or Tampa?
Tampa is easier: Tampa 1.6/5 vs Los Angeles 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Los Angeles and Tampa?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Los Angeles is about $7,222 and Tampa about $5,919 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.