For once, Los Angeles isn’t America’s biggest wallet killer.
A new study has ranked Los Angeles as the second-most expensive U.S. host city for World Cup fans, with visitors expected to spend roughly $500 over just two days on restaurants and tourist activities alone.
Only New York/New Jersey was pricier, with an eye-popping $720 estimated spend. But don’t let L.A.’s runner-up finish fool you. The City of Angels still towers over most of the competition.
According to the analysis from SEO Backlinks, a World Cup weekend in Los Angeles will cost fans $100 more than Atlanta, $106 more than Boston, $160 more than Philadelphia and a whopping $260 more than Dallas. Compared to Houston, the cheapest city on the list at $232, Los Angeles is more than twice as expensive.
The U. S. World Cup host cities ranked by estimated two-day restaurant and tourist activity costs are:
- New York/New Jersey: $720 over two days
- Los Angeles: $500 over two days
- Atlanta: $400 over two days
- Boston: $394 over two days
- Miami: $350 over two days
- Philadelphia: $342 over two days
- San Francisco: $320 over two days
- Seattle: $316 over two days
- Kansas City: $310 over two days
- Dallas: $240 over two days
- Houston: $232 over two days
And that’s before many fans even reach SoFi Stadium.
Between hotels, rideshares, sightseeing, drinks and meals, supporters traveling to Inglewood could find themselves spending nearly as much off the field as they did on match tickets.
The sticker shock doesn’t stop there.
Draft beers at Los Angeles restaurants average around $8, matching other major host cities including New York, Boston, Miami and San Francisco.
Fans hoping to get a buzz before kickoff should to stop somewhere else first. Inside Levi’s Stadium, beers reportedly average a staggering $24.50.
The findings arrive as World Cup fever continues to build across North America. Ticket prices have already skyrocketed for some matches, with resale seats for Mexico’s group-stage clash against South Korea topping $4,000 and premium hospitality packages reaching into the hundreds of thousands — and in some cases millions — of dollars.
The advice from the data specialists at SEO Backlinks is simple: eat before you get near the stadium, hunt down local food trucks and avoid tourist traps whenever possible.
Otherwise, the world’s biggest soccer tournament could quickly become the world’s most expensive weekend getaway.