Daytona Beach vs Hattiesburg
Cost of Living Comparison · 2026
Daytona Beach
Hattiesburg
The Verdict
Hattiesburg is 23.4% less expensive than Daytona Beach overall. A household earning $75,000 in Daytona Beach would need approximately $60,789 in Hattiesburg to maintain the same standard of living.
Category-by-Category Breakdown
Index values · National average = 100 · Lower is more affordable
Salary Equivalence
A $75,000 salary in Daytona Beach has the same purchasing power as $60,789 in Hattiesburg.
Conversely, $75,000 in Hattiesburg equals $92,532 in Daytona Beach.
Living in Daytona Beach vs Hattiesburg
Housing Costs
Daytona Beach's housing index of 93 is higher Hattiesburg's 52, translating to median home prices of $288,000 vs $170,000. The $118,000 difference in home prices means roughly $7,668 per year in additional mortgage costs at current rates. Renters face a similar gap: $1,350/mo in Daytona Beach compared to $875/mo in Hattiesburg, a monthly difference of $475.
Grocery & Food Costs
Grocery expenses index at 104 in Daytona Beach and 97 in Hattiesburg. A household spending the national average of $475/month on groceries would pay approximately $494/month in Daytona Beach vs $461/month in Hattiesburg. Hattiesburg offers a meaningful advantage on everyday food costs, saving roughly $396/year.
Utility Expenses
Utility costs — electricity, gas, water, internet — index at 101 in Daytona Beach and 93 in Hattiesburg. Monthly utility bills average approximately $404 in Daytona Beach vs $372 in Hattiesburg. Utility costs are relatively comparable between these two cities.
Healthcare
Healthcare costs index at 99 in Daytona Beach and 106 in Hattiesburg. This encompasses insurance premiums, doctor visit copays, dental care, and prescription costs. Healthcare costs are relatively similar between these two cities, though individual plan costs can still vary.
Income & Purchasing Power
Median household income is $52,100 in Daytona Beach and $44,100 in Hattiesburg. After adjusting for local costs, purchasing-power-equivalent incomes are approximately $54,842 and $57,273 respectively. Hattiesburg residents come out ahead in real purchasing power.
Relocation Considerations
Under the standard 28% rule, a median-income household can allocate $1,216/month to housing in Daytona Beach vs $1,029/month in Hattiesburg. In Daytona Beach, median rent of $1,350/mo exceeds this threshold, suggesting renters may feel stretched. In Hattiesburg, median rent of $875/mo remains manageable. The biggest category-level difference between these two cities is Housing, where the gap is 41 index points — focus your budget analysis there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moving & Relocation Resources
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