2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Columbia, SC vs Tampa, FL

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Tampa or is it cheaper to live in Columbia?
- Tampa is 19.2% more expensive than Columbia.

Which city has more affordable housing, Tampa or Columbia?
- Tampa housing costs are 80.1% more expensive than Columbia housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Columbia or is Health Care more affordable in Tampa.
- Health related expenses are 13.0% less in Tampa.
 Columbia, SCTampa, FLUnited States
 Overall  Unlock104.2100
 Food & Groceries96.0  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock100.3100
 Housing58.4  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$381,000$338,100
 Utilities109  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock112.1100
 Miscellaneous92.9  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Columbia    50 Reviews

Over 2 years ago

I love living in Columbia! I recently graduated from USC and plan to stay. I read the reviews posted here and it shows that like many cities, your experience will depend  More

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Loved living in Columbia, SC prior to my job transfer. It's the perfect size - plenty to do, but still a laid back place. People are extremely friendly, there are  More

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Columbia is such a unique and underrated place. It has a lot of character and history, and good nature trails. Everything feels accessible (by car) and you can get from  More

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Reviews for Tampa    162 Reviews

Over 1 years ago

The people in Tampa are fantastic but the city is a total bore. All events are always in South Tampa and never elsewhere, ie, North Tampa. The north end never  More

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Over 3 years ago

I've lived in small towns before and now for the past 25 years in this large metropolis. It's a very nice city. Lots of jobs, shopping restaurants, churches, Busch  More

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This is my favorite city that I have ever lived in. I am reading all of these terrible reviews for Tampa, but then when I read what people are writing, they are actually  More

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