Should you visit Cocoa Beach or Daytona Beach?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach, Florida has long been a favorite vacation spot for travelers looking for sun, sand, and waves. The location was also made famous as the setting for the 1960's television show, "I Dream of Jeannie". The town of just over 11,000 is located in Brevard County along the Atlantic coast. Many people visit the area because of its excellent surfing. There are many surfing festivals and competitions held here yearly and the famous Ron Jon's surf shop receives about 2 million visitors a year. The city is also home to the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame.
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida, located on the Atlantic coast, is a wildly popular tourist destination for people from all over the world due to great beaches, spring break fun, and NASCAR races. Tourists come to enjoy the warm Florida weather, the beautiful beaches, the activities, the boardwalk, the nightlife, and many other things the city has to offer. The beaches around Daytona are famous for their hard-packed sand, which makes them easy for cars to drive on. For this reason, Daytona has a history of automobile racing, and is home to dozens of races that take place throughout the year, the most famous of which is the Daytona 500. Naturally, Daytona is also home to NASCAR headquarters. But it's so much more than just a race destination, as it's also a fun and family-friendly destination that attractions a wide range of visitors.
Which city is cheaper, Daytona Beach or Cocoa Beach?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Cocoa Beach is $116, while the average daily cost in Daytona Beach is $169. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Cocoa Beach, $136 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Cocoa Beach, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $68, such as in a hostel.
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $67. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Daytona Beach the cost is $134 on average.
Food
While meal prices in Cocoa Beach can vary, the average travelers spends about $35 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Cocoa Beach should cost around $14 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Cocoa Beach is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
Daytona Beach food costs typically run travelers around $64 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Cocoa Beach $35
Daytona Beach $64
Local Transportation
Cocoa Beach's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $20 per person, per day on transportation in Cocoa Beach.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $42 per day to get around in Daytona Beach.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cocoa Beach
Also for Cocoa Beach, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Shared Port Canaveral Round-trip Transfer:
$43
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Private Van Service Transfer to or from Orlando International Airport:
$101
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Private Transfer from Cocoa Beach to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport:
$264
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Private Transfer from Cocoa Beach to Orlando (MCO) Airport:
$267
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Daytona Beach
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Daytona Beach:
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Private Transfer from Daytona to Port Canaveral:
$360
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Private Transfer from Daytona to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport:
$228
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Private Transfer from Daytona to Orlando (MCO) Airport:
$377
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Daytona Beach International Airport One Way Transfer:
$43
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Daytona Beach & surrounding areas Private 14 passenger Luxury Mini-bus transfer:
$62
Is it cheaper to fly into Cocoa Beach or Daytona Beach?
Prices for flights to both Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Cocoa Beach can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $13 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $22 per person, per day in Daytona Beach. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Tours and Activities in Cocoa Beach
For Cocoa Beach, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Cocoa Beach Mural Tour (Self-Guided):
$25
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Group Kayak Tour to Search for Wildlife and Explore the Mangrove Tunnels:
$44
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Mangrove Tunnels, Manatee, and Dolphin Sunset kayak tour with Fin Expeditions:
$49
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Mangrove Tunnel & Dolphin Sunset Kayak Tours with Cocoa Kayaking in Cocoa Beach!:
$50
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Bicycle Tours and Rentals Throughout the Space Coast:
$50
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Mangrove Tunnel/Manatee & Dolphin Kayak Tour with Cocoa Kayaking in Cocoa Beach!:
$50
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Self-Guided Kayaking Manatee and Dolphin Tour:
$55
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Dinoflagellate Bioluminescence Kayak Tour:
$55
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Bioluminescent Kayak Tour with Cocoa Kayaking in Cocoa Beach, Florida!!:
$65
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Private Surf Lesson with Experienced Instructors:
$65
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One Hour Surf Lesson with Experienced Instructor:
$70
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Electric Bike Group Tour - Port Canaveral & Cocoa Beach:
$85
Tours and Activities in Daytona Beach
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Daytona Beach are as follows:
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Dolphin and Manatee Stand Up Paddleboard Tour in Daytona Beach:
$56
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Historic Pub and Bar Pedal Bus Tour of Beach Street:
$54
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Hopcycles Pedal Bus 2 Hour South Tour:
$54
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Small-Group Sailing Tour in Daytona Beach:
$49
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Zipline Adventure through Tuscawilla Park:
$41
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Cocoa Beach spend on average $16 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about $34 on alcoholic beverages in Daytona Beach per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach, we can see that Daytona Beach is more expensive. And not only is Cocoa Beach much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cocoa Beach would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cocoa Beach and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Daytona Beach would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Daytona Beach than you might in Cocoa Beach.
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