How low can Tampa go?

The Tampa region, winning national recognition for jobs growth, scored another victory recently in an important category: cost of living.

The area is a leader both in Florida and nationwide in the latest cost of living index (COLI) report, issued by the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. The Tampa region posted a COLI of 91.5 on a national average index of 100, according to the EDC report.

Tampa's score is lower than a host of southeast cities, including Raleigh, N.C. at 94.4; Charlotte at 94.8; Nashville at 95.5; and Atlanta at 98.7. In Florida the only region with a lower cost of living than Tampa is Palm Coast-Flagler County at 90.6, the report shows.