Daytona Beach vs Santa Fe
Cost of Living Comparison · 2026
Daytona Beach
Santa Fe
The Verdict
Daytona Beach is 18.8% less expensive than Santa Fe overall. A household earning $75,000 in Daytona Beach would need approximately $92,368 in Santa Fe 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 $92,368 in Santa Fe.
Conversely, $75,000 in Santa Fe equals $60,897 in Daytona Beach.
Living in Daytona Beach vs Santa Fe
Housing Costs
Daytona Beach's housing index of 93 is lower Santa Fe's 153, translating to median home prices of $288,000 vs $480,000. The $192,000 difference in home prices means roughly $12,480 per year in additional mortgage costs at current rates. Renters face a similar gap: $1,350/mo in Daytona Beach compared to $1,600/mo in Santa Fe, a monthly difference of $250.
Grocery & Food Costs
Grocery expenses index at 104 in Daytona Beach and 103 in Santa Fe. A household spending the national average of $475/month on groceries would pay approximately $494/month in Daytona Beach vs $489/month in Santa Fe. The difference in grocery costs between these cities is relatively minor and unlikely to be a deciding factor in relocation.
Utility Expenses
Utility costs — electricity, gas, water, internet — index at 101 in Daytona Beach and 96 in Santa Fe. Monthly utility bills average approximately $404 in Daytona Beach vs $384 in Santa Fe. Utility costs are relatively comparable between these two cities.
Healthcare
Healthcare costs index at 99 in Daytona Beach and 95 in Santa Fe. 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 $61,982 in Santa Fe. After adjusting for local costs, purchasing-power-equivalent incomes are approximately $54,842 and $52,976 respectively. Daytona Beach residents enjoy stronger real purchasing power despite lower nominal wages.
Relocation Considerations
Under the standard 28% rule, a median-income household can allocate $1,216/month to housing in Daytona Beach vs $1,446/month in Santa Fe. In Daytona Beach, median rent of $1,350/mo exceeds this threshold, suggesting renters may feel stretched. In Santa Fe, median rent of $1,600/mo pushes past the recommended limit. The biggest category-level difference between these two cities is Housing, where the gap is 60 index points — focus your budget analysis there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moving & Relocation Resources
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