Home Affordability
#22
of 124 cities
≈3.4 yrs to buy 80m²
Current value
#38 of 124
North America
Tampa
FL, United States
Salary & Cost of Living
How do salaries and expenses in Tampa compare to San Francisco?
Purchasing Power Comparison
An engineer in Tampa is 30% worse off vs in San Francisco
This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Tampa compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.
Net Salary
$83,778
-$89K (-51%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 29%
Community Insights
NewTampa offers a compelling financial arbitrage opportunity for software engineers, particularly those who can secure remote work with out-of-state salaries. The combination of no state income tax and relatively affordable housing (ranked #15) creates a strong financial incentive. However, the local job market is still maturing; while it has strong defense and fintech sectors, it lacks the depth and salary premiums of established tech hubs.
The lifestyle is distinctively Floridian: laid-back, sun-soaked, and car-dependent. While the safety index is moderate (#64), the quality of life is heavily improved by access to water and year-round outdoor activities. New residents must weigh these benefits against the soaring costs of insurance and the reality that local salaries often lag behind the rising cost of living.
Resident Sentiment
Sentiment is mixed to positive, but trending towards caution. Transplants often celebrate the lifestyle upgrade and tax savings, frequently posting about how much more house they can afford compared to where they came from.
However, there is a growing vocal cohort of locals and recent movers expressing frustration with crowding and inflation. A common sentiment on Reddit is that the "secret is out," leading to traffic woes and a feeling that the city's infrastructure hasn't kept pace with its popularity. The insurance crisis is a universal grievance, often described as the biggest hidden cost of living in the region.
Rankings
Top 18%
Pollution Score
#29
of 124 cities
33.7/100
Current value (lower is better)
Net Income
#33
of 124 cities
$83,778/yr
Current value
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Tampa compared to San Francisco?
Salary Converter
Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Tampa to maintain the same standard of living.
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