Is Las Vegas Expensive? (Local Guide)

From Las Vegas wineries to Las Vegas water parks, it’s important to analyze your options when it comes to budgeting.

A lot of people make mistakes when it comes to the cost of going to Las Vegas.

If you are visiting Las Vegas for the first time, you will need to take the time to assess how you are going to spend your money.

This includes finding fun things to do in Vegas.

We know you are going to be wondering about the cost and we are going to showcase how our experience turned out in this beautiful city.

Let’s take a look at whether or not Las Vegas is expensive.

Hotels In Las Vegas

It’s important to find a good place to stay when you are visiting Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is one of those cities where you are going to be enamored by the glamor. You will also want to participate but that doesn’t mean it’s essential to splurge on a hotel room.

Unfortunately, some of the major hotels in Las Vegas are quite expensive.

When we take a look around, one of the most costly hotels in Vegas can charge you thousands per night for a 7-star experience. In comparison, a person can also find a better deal in Vegas where they are paying around $150 per night for a decent hotel such as The Cosmopolitan.

It all comes down to how much you are willing to spend.

There are numerous options and you can find a room if you take the time to look. Don’t get stuck on one option and always shop around. You can end up saving hundreds of dollars with a bit of research.

Cost Of Food In Vegas

You are going to want to eat when you are in Las Vegas and this opens you up to numerous options. There are quite a few restaurants in Vegas and each one promises to offer high-quality food that’s going to spoil you!

The one good thing about Vegas is you can find good food at your desired price point.

It’s not just fine dining here.

We were able to find great street food that was quite affordable in Vegas. If we wanted to go for a bit of fine dining and spend hundreds on food then we were able to do that too!

Based on our experience, you can end up getting a good meal for around $15-20 per person. It’s not as cheap as an Asian country, but it is still going to be a good deal for where you are in Vegas.

For those who want to spend more, you can end up going into the hundreds of dollars.

Along the same lines, we also had to take a look at the beverages in Vegas.

Let’s assume you wanted to drink.

If so, you would have to pay around $6 per drink at some locations. Of course, if you are going to a higher-end place, they are going to increase the cost along with the variety of drinks that are made available to you.

Cost Of Transportation In Las Vegas

If you are going to be in Las Vegas, you are going to need transportation to venture out and explore the city.

To do this, one option is going to be the monorail that runs near The Mirage. This is going to be free and it has a set path that it runs, which is ideal for those who are going to be in that specific area. You will also find one between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay.

A common option for tourists in Vegas is to get a pass for the Deuce Bus. This is a pass that will cost approximately $8 for the day and is going to run throughout the day for those who want to go to the main casinos.

You can also take the RTC bus for $1 per trip for other parts of Vegas.

Another option comes in the form of the Las Vegas Monorail. This is different from the free monorail that was mentioned above. In this case, the Las Vegas Monorail is going to run behind the strip and is going to have a cost of $12 (day pass).

If you are looking to spend more, you can take a taxi in Las Vegas. This will charge you a lot more as you are going to end up paying a rate that begins at $3.30. It’s common for the rate to add up in a hurry if you keep taking taxis or even Ubers.

As a result, we ended up renting a car.

This cost us around $80 per day for unlimited mileage and that was great to get around.

Cost Of Attractions In Las Vegas

We often get asked about the attractions in Las Vegas.

This is going to be a huge chunk of the costs associated with being in this beautiful city. In general, if you are going to a casino, you are going to end up spending a lot more due to the nature of the visit.

We ended up spending around $150 per visit but it can go as high as you want. This is where you have to be careful.

Other places were free and we added many of those to our itinerary. This included walking down The Strip and just having a good time.

Best Time To Go To Vegas To Save Money

If you have the ability to schedule the trip then we would recommend timing your trip.

We would look at going after the holidays. This means going in February because it is going to be a non-peak month and the weather is still going to be pleasant. This is a nice option for those who want to save money on accommodation and even transportation.

Everything starts to become cheaper simply due to the reduced traffic. They want you to use their services more during this period.

We also recommend going during the end of the summer.

This is when it gets blistering hot, but those who can handle the heat will do well financially. You can save quite a bit of money by coming during these months.

Average Cost Of Vegas Trip

Let’s start taking a look at what we would expect people to spend on a Las Vegas trip.

In our case, we went for a week and were able to get by with around $1000. This does not include the flight tickets, but everything else is included in the number we have given.

We would say this is an average spend.

You can easily go lower than this and even get by with no more than $500 but you are going to be cutting on most things including what you are eating.

If you are a couple that wants to splurge then you can easily go into the thousands. You will likely need in excess of $4000 to have that kind of trip in Vegas.

Tips To Budget On A Las Vegas Trip

Get A Go City Vegas Pass

The first thing we would recommend is the Go City Vegas Pass.

This is an exceptional option for those who want to save money on a Vegas trip. The reason has to do with you getting a significant discount on each attraction you visit that’s eligible with the pass.

We were able to save almost 50% based on the original prices at these attractions. It is simply not worth it to settle for anything less.

Go With Chain Hotels

You will also want to take the time to look at Las Vegas chain hotels.

Chain hotels are good because they are not going to be as flashy, but they are going to help you save money. This is essential for those who want to make sure they are not cutting on their location but are still getting to save money on the hotel room.

Go During Non-Peak Season

You will always want to go during non-peak months because you will save money. Whether it is the end of the summer or after the winter breaks, you are going to save quite a bit.

This is simply due to the lack of foot traffic in Vegas and them wanting to attract customers. They will be willing to give more concessions to you.

Final Thoughts

Is Las Vegas expensive?

Yes, Las Vegas is expensive compared to other major cities but there are ways to save money for those who plan properly.

You will want to set a daily budget, look for free attractions, and don’t splurge on fine dining. This is how you are going to get more out of the experience as a visitor.