The Real Cost of Dating in America's 50 Largest Cities
Love is in the air and, depending on where you’re breathing it in, quite expensive. In some of the biggest cities across the U.S., it now feels like you may have to take out a small personal loan in order to take potential paramours out for a dinner and movie.
So, if you’ve recently met someone in the wild or just swiped right on an image of someone that is hopefully accurate, it’s time to figure out the real cost of dating in your city.
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MoneyLion has dipped its toe in the dating pool across 50 of the largest cities in America to give you an idea of just how big the price tag is now on a night out.
Key Findings
In the top 13 cities listed in this ranking, it will cost you more than $30 to buy two movie tickets. The average across all 50 cities is $29.
In places like Los Angeles and Fresno, California, a single beer will cost you double digits (the average is around $11).
There is no city in this ranking where you can expect a cocktail to cost you less than $10, with cities like Raleigh and L.A. being over $20 on average.
New York City, known for its high cost of living, tops this list. So it's no surprise that just taking someone out for dinner, drinks or maybe an activity costs you a whopping $351.
Get ready for some sticker shock, as here is the real cost of dating in the 50 largest cities in America, ranked from most to least expensive for a night out on the town.
1. New York City
Population: 8,483,844
Total Date Cost: $351
3-Course Dinner for Two: $171
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $80
2. Philadelphia
Population: 1,579,706
Total Date Cost: $295
3-Course Dinner for Two: $157
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $52
3. Washington, D.C.
Population: 681,294
Total Date Cost: $294
3-Course Dinner for Two: $158
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $44
4. Denver
Population: 718,877
Total Date Cost: $291
3-Course Dinner for Two: $152
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $48
5. Houston
Population: 2,328,253
Total Date Cost: $282
3-Course Dinner for Two: $127
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $76
6. San Francisco
Population: 830,235
Total Date Cost: $281
3-Course Dinner for Two: $150
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $36
7. Los Angeles
Population: 3,857,263
Total Date Cost: $274
3-Course Dinner for Two: $131
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $46
8. Boston
Population: 666,442
Total Date Cost: $272
3-Course Dinner for Two: $141
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $42
9. Oakland, California
Population: 439,418
Total Date Cost: $267
3-Course Dinner for Two: $129
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $60
10. Seattle
Population: 754,195
Total Date Cost: $256
3-Course Dinner for Two: $131
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $38
11. Chicago
Population: 2,711,226
Total Date Cost: $245
3-Course Dinner for Two: $120
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $42
12. San Jose, California
Population: 990,138
Total Date Cost: $242
3-Course Dinner for Two: $131
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $28
13. Atlanta
Population: 505,268
Total Date Cost: $240
3-Course Dinner for Two: $95
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $66
14. Miami
Population: 459,745
Total Date Cost: $240
3-Course Dinner for Two: $129
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $30
15. Las Vegas
Population: 660,400
Total Date Cost: $238
3-Course Dinner for Two: $106
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $62
16. Dallas
Population: 1,307,930
Total Date Cost: $235
3-Course Dinner for Two: $113
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $46
17. Long Beach, California
Population: 455,548
Total Date Cost: $233
3-Course Dinner for Two: $119
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $38
18. Tampa, Florida
Population: 401,618
Total Date Cost: $224
3-Course Dinner for Two: $113
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $36
19. Sacramento, California
Population: 528,706
Total Date Cost: $219
3-Course Dinner for Two: $103
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $42
20. Austin, Texas
Population: 979,539
Total Date Cost: $213
3-Course Dinner for Two: $97
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $46
21. Nashville, Tennessee
Population: 690,130
Total Date Cost: $212
3-Course Dinner for Two: $82
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $54
22. Minneapolis
Population: 427,246
Total Date Cost: $211
3-Course Dinner for Two: $95
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $50
23. Charlotte, North Carolina
Population: 903,844
Total Date Cost: $209
3-Course Dinner for Two: $97
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $38
24. Portland, Oregon
Population: 641,165
Total Date Cost: $204
3-Course Dinner for Two: $91
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $42
25. San Diego
Population: 1,389,526
Total Date Cost: $201
3-Course Dinner for Two: $82
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $40
26. Fresno, California
Population: 545,970
Total Date Cost: $201
3-Course Dinner for Two: $92
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $38
27. Colorado Springs, Colorado
Population: 487,887
Total Date Cost: $200
3-Course Dinner for Two: $90
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $46
28. New Orleans
Population: 371,853
Total Date Cost: $198
3-Course Dinner for Two: $97
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $38
29. Baltimore
Population: 573,243
Total Date Cost: $197
3-Course Dinner for Two: $88
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $42
30. San Antonio
Population: 1,479,835
Total Date Cost: $195
3-Course Dinner for Two: $96
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $32
31. Louisville, Kentucky
Population: 631,818
Total Date Cost: $195
3-Course Dinner for Two: $88
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $44
32. Columbus, Ohio
Population: 914,802
Total Date Cost: $193
3-Course Dinner for Two: $93
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $40
33. Kansas City, Missouri
Population: 510,612
Total Date Cost: $192
3-Course Dinner for Two: $87
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $40
34. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Population: 413,794
Total Date Cost: $191
3-Course Dinner for Two: $75
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $54
35. Virginia Beach, Virginia
Population: 456,349
Total Date Cost: $191
3-Course Dinner for Two: $98
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $32
36. Raleigh, North Carolina
Population: 481,031
Total Date Cost: $187
3-Course Dinner for Two: $84
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $26
37. Phoenix
Population: 1,642,323
Total Date Cost: $184
3-Course Dinner for Two: $88
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $32
38. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Population: 562,218
Total Date Cost: $182
3-Course Dinner for Two: $77
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $42
39. Omaha, Nebraska
Population: 488,837
Total Date Cost: $178
3-Course Dinner for Two: $78
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $44
40. Oklahoma City
Population: 697,125
Total Date Cost: $176
3-Course Dinner for Two: $81
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $36
41. Tucson, Arizona
Population: 547,073
Total Date Cost: $174
3-Course Dinner for Two: $86
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $30
42. Bakersfield, California
Population: 411,986
Total Date Cost: $172
3-Course Dinner for Two: $70
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $42
43. Indianapolis
Population: 885,860
Total Date Cost: $171
3-Course Dinner for Two: $77
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $32
44. Jacksonville, Florida
Population: 977,670
Total Date Cost: $170
3-Course Dinner for Two: $83
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $26
45. Wichita, Kansas
Population: 397,945
Total Date Cost: $163
3-Course Dinner for Two: $76
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $26
46. El Paso, Texas
Population: 680,130
Total Date Cost: $162
3-Course Dinner for Two: $73
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $34
47. Fort Worth, Texas
Population: 963,194
Total Date Cost: $161
3-Course Dinner for Two: $77
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $28
48. Detroit
Population: 638,530
Total Date Cost: $159
3-Course Dinner for Two: $72
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $28
49. Milwaukee
Population: 566,973
Total Date Cost: $156
3-Course Dinner for Two: $71
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $34
50. Memphis, Tennessee
Population: 618,980
Total Date Cost: $129
3-Course Dinner for Two: $56
Taxi Fare (Round Trip): $24
Methodology: The 50 largest cities in the US were sourced from the 2024 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. MoneyLion used Expatisan's cost-of-living figures by city to find the typical cost of a three-course dinner (appetizer, main, dessert) with wine, 20% tip on that dinner, movie tickets for two, round-trip cab fare and two drinks (one beer and one cocktail) for each city. These costs were then combined to get a total date cost for each city. All data is up to date as of June 24, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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