A Travel Price Comparison for Florida Cocoa Beach vs. Tampa for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Cocoa Beach or Tampa?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Cocoa Beach and Tampa. 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, schedule, and interests. 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.

Tampa

On the north shore of Tampa Bay, across the water from Saint Peterburg, is the city of Tampa. The city has a population of almost 350,000. The metropolitan area includes Tampa, St. Peterburg, and Clearwater. It has about 2.9 million residents and is the second largest metropolitan area in the state. The city is a popular destination for outdoor activities and in 2008 it was ranked the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes.

Which city is cheaper, Tampa 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 Tampa is $119. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Cocoa Beach and Tampa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cocoa Beach $68
    Tampa $60
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cocoa Beach $136
    Tampa $120

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cocoa Beach $20
    Tampa $38

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cocoa Beach

Also for Cocoa Beach, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Shared Port Canaveral Round-trip Transfer: $43
  • Private Van Service Transfer to or from Orlando International Airport: $101
  • Private Transfer from Cocoa Beach to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport: $264
  • Private Transfer from Cocoa Beach to Orlando (MCO) Airport: $267

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tampa

Also for Tampa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Transfer from Tampa International Airport to Tampa: $75
  • Tampa hotel or address to Tampa Airport (TPA) - Departure Private Transfer: $82
  • Tampa Airport (TPA) to Tampa hotel or address - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $164
  • Tampa Airport (TPA) to Tampa hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer: $82
  • Tampa Airport (TPA) to St Petersburg hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer: $83
  • Tampa Airport (TPA) to St Petersburg - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $167
  • Tampa Airport (TPA) to Clearwater Beach - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $167
  • Tampa Airport (TPA) to Clearwater Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $83
  • Private Transfer from Tampa to Port Canaveral: $526
  • Private Transfer from Tampa to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport: $457
  • Private Transfer from Tampa to Orlando (MCO) Airport: $393
  • Private Transfer from Tampa Airport to Sarasota: $120

Is it cheaper to fly into Cocoa Beach or Tampa?

Prices for flights to both Tampa 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Cocoa Beach $35
    Tampa $35

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cocoa Beach $13
    Tampa $15

Tours and Activities in Cocoa Beach

For Cocoa Beach, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Bicycle Tours and Rentals Throughout the Space Coast: $50
  • Bioluminescent Kayak Tour with Cocoa Kayaking in Cocoa Beach, Florida!!: $65
  • Cocoa Beach Mural Tour (Self-Guided): $25
  • Dinoflagellate Bioluminescence Kayak Tour: $55
  • Electric Bike Group Tour - Port Canaveral & Cocoa Beach: $85
  • Group Kayak Tour to Search for Wildlife and Explore the Mangrove Tunnels: $44
  • Mangrove Tunnel & Dolphin Sunset Kayak Tours with Cocoa Kayaking in Cocoa Beach!: $50
  • Mangrove Tunnel/Manatee & Dolphin Kayak Tour with Cocoa Kayaking in Cocoa Beach!: $50
  • Mangrove Tunnels, Manatee, and Dolphin Sunset kayak tour with Fin Expeditions: $49
  • Mini Photography Session with Experienced Photographer: $250
  • One Hour Surf Lesson with Experienced Instructor: $70
  • Private Surf Lesson with Experienced Instructors: $65

Tours and Activities in Tampa

For Tampa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 1.5-hour Dolphin Sightseeing Cruise from Tampa: $31
  • 2-hour Tiki Boat BYOB Cruise in Tampa: $60
  • Adventure Island Water Park Ticket: $63
  • Bayshore Drive Motorbike Tour: $199
  • Bicycle Tour Orlando, Over Tampa Bay Ride: $150
  • Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Admission Ticket: $110
  • Historic Ybor City Food and Drink Walking Tour: $59
  • Motorcycle Tour of Sunshine Skyway Bridge: $299
  • Nature Coast Private Day Tour From Tampa with Photographer , Max Group of 4: $250
  • Orlando: Aquatica Water Park Admission Ticket: $128
  • Skip the Line: The Florida Aquarium in Tampa Bay Ticket: $26
  • Skip the Line: ZooTampa at Lowry Park Admission Ticket: $45

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Cocoa Beach $16
    Tampa $20

Sample the Local Flavors in Tampa

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Tampa:

  • Tampa Bar Hunt: Tampa Takeover Bar Crawl: $12
  • Haunted Tampa Ghost and Pub Walking Tour - Ybor City: $26
  • Private Tampa Brewery Tour - Party Bus: $600

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Cocoa Beach and Tampa, we can see that Tampa is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

Budget Your Trip

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Cocoa Beach vs. Tampa Travel Comparison

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