Las Vegas is awesome but just how much is a trip to Vegas? Today we share just how much a Las Vegas trip cost, including food & hotel prices.
How much does a trip to vegas cost?
Last Vegas can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, so here are some approximate prices for a trip to Vegas.
Prices of hotels in Las Vegas:
Budget: Dorm beds can be found from $10+ whilst privates are around $50+. However most hostels are not in the centre or the strip and a little further away.
Midrange: The great thing about Vegas is that prices of budget strip hotels are getting better, with rooms in strip hotels going for $40 if booked in advanced and most central hotels costing $100 – $170.
Luxury: Top hotels are obviously pricey, but for us it is all part of the experience. Suites in the big named hotels start at $200+.
Example prices (1 night, 2 adults in a private room, not including taxes):
- Treasure Island Deluxe Room – $49
- The Strat Hotel Standard Room – $22
- Excalibur Royal Tower King – $21
- Luxor Queen Room – $27
- Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino – $66
- Caesars Palace classic room – $104
Cost of Transport in Las Vegas:
Deuce and SDX day passes cost $7, the monorail costs $12 for a 24 hour ticket whilst most taxis will take you around the Vegas area for $15 – $25 plus tip.
Cost of food in Vegas:
Most hotels offer buffets, with the cheapest starting around $15 for lunch and $18 for dinner; there are some great buffets in Vegas to choose from.
For those on a budget, there are plenty of pizza and fast food places around but avoid the chains inside hotels as they can be more expensive.
Avoid using the mini-bars in your hotel as these cost a fortune, stock up at Walgreens; with many dotted along the strip.
Top notch restaurants at the best hotel will cost upwards of $200 for two people with drinks, whilst most sit down meals at reasonable restaurants cost between $50 – $100 for two.
Las Vegas on a budget
Las Vegas doesn’t have to be as expensive as you may think. We share tips on how to do Vegas for cheap:
Save money on Accommodation in Vegas
- Cheaper hotels – Staying in the cheaper hotels on the strip such as Luxor, The Strat and Excalibur for as little as $30 or stay on Fremont Street for $20 deals.
- Join a Hotel’s Membership Program for Discounts – Join one of the hotel programs to get discounted room rates and exclusive promotions. Programs to join include Caesars Rewards, M Life or the Wynn Insider.
- Visit midweek – hotels in vegas are cheapest Monday to Thursday, so visit on these days if you can.
- Avoid conventions – Vegas is the convention capital of America so you need to do your best to avoid them. Check the Las Vegas convention calendar when planning your trip to keep room rates at affordable prices.
- Even more discounts – If you are a teacher, student, first responder, military or veteran, you can get discounts with some hotel chains, such as Caesars properties. These include discounts at Paris Las Vegas, Flamingo, The Linq and Caesars Palace.
- Marriott Rewards – Arguably the best hotel on the strip (at least in our opinion) is the Cosmopolitan. You can use Marriott Rewards points when booking your room if for cheaper prices and upgrades.
- Stay downtown – If the strip isn’t for you, you can save a lot of money but staying at the cheap resorts in downtown Las Vegas. Golden Nugget and Four Queens are worth checking out.
Save money on transport in Vegas
Vegas is so much bigger than I thought and in that humidity, no one wants to be walking up and down the strip all day and night. We have a few ways you can travel around Vegas on a budget.
- Don’t rent a car – If you plan on staying in Vegas, do not rent a car; parking is super expensive and its not worth the hassle. If you are planning on heading out to the canyons and national parks, only rent the car for those few days instead of your whole trip.
- Don’t take a taxi – Use Lyft or Uber instead as these are so much cheaper than the regular taxies. Plus, they have a tendency of driving you the long way around.
- Take the monorail – For just $5 for a single ride ticket or $13 for an all day pass you can travel around the strip on the monorail. Stops include MGM Grand, Paris, Flamingo and The Linq, just to name a few.
Save money on food in Las Vegas
- Vouchers – Use groupon, Destination Coupons or Travelzoo to browse discounts and coupons for all sorts of restaurants in Vegas. You can save money on all sorts of restaurants, from fast food to the oh-so-sweet sugar factory.
- Pre Theatre Menu – If a hotel has a nightly show, they will most likely offer some type of pre-theater menu in their restaurants. You can book one of these meals to save money, even if you don’t have tickets for a show!
- Happy Hour – Bars along the strip offer various happy hour specials to keep an eye on. We will leave a link to some of the best happy hours on offer but make sure you use them to save money on drinking out in vegas – those strawberry daquiris can add up!
- The buffets – Vegas is all about the buffets. Why spend $50 on one course when you can spend $25 on an all you can eat buffet at one of the best hotels in town. Two of the best options to choose from are Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan and Wynn Buffet at the Wynn Las Vegas.
- Eat after 11pm – there are a handful of restaurants in Vegas that offer a late night happy happy. Whether it is Buffalo Wild Wings, Sushi or seafood Shack, there is a restaurant for everyone as long as you don’t mind eating late.
- Extra buffet tip – Go during the transition. Most buffets are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner but they each cost something different. So a buffet maybe $35 for lunch but $55 for dinner. Brunch runs from 7.30 to 3 and dinner starts at 3pm. If you head here for 2.30pm, you can pay less but still get to eat the dinner food items which are often much better.
- Avoid room service – do not use room service at all costs! The prices are crazy and you can save yourself much more money by heading to a nearby supermarket for a quick snack or nearby cafe for a much cheaper meal.
- Drink on the casino floor – One of my favourite ways to save on drinks in Vegas is to take a seat at a slow machine and take full advantage of the free drinks. Just make sure you tip generously to ensure the nice waitress comes back with more drinks later on.
Save money on attractions in Las Vegas
- Discounted show tickets – Use Vegas.com for discounted show tickets and check our Groupon for restaurant deals.You can also use the Tix 4 Tonight booth to snag same day show tickets for up to 50% off.
- Promotions – Always check the promotions tab on hotels to see if they have any show, restaurant, spa or night-club deals.
- Get the V Card – if you love partying all night long, you need the V card. This is a nightlife card that allows free VIP access over 31 night and day clubs, no lives, no cover and even a one tine use free admission in some of the best clubs in Vegas.
- Ladies go free – Vegas clubs want girls! Yep sorry guys but ladies can often get in free to most nightclubs. Firstly night-clubs tend to have ladies nights but they also hire club promoters whose main job is to promote their club by handing out free club vouchers to woman. You will find them on the street or pedestrian walkways wearing a club’s t-shirt.
- Get the Las Vegas explorer Pass – This pass allows you to visit between 3 to 5 attractions for one price. Not only do you save money but you can offer skip the queues.
- Print or download coupons – Again, coupons in vegas aren’t just for restaurants but for attractions as well. Get yourself some coupons from Smart Destinations or the Destination Coupons website for some great deals.
- Free attractions – You can also take advantage of the free attractions in Vegas – we share all the best free things to do in Las Vegas so you can get exploring on the cheap.
How much is a trip to Vegas - F.A.Q
Is it expensive to eat in Las Vegas?
Meals can vary in price but it is possible to eat on a budget in Las Vegas. Stick to restaurants off the strip or the chain restaurants to spend as little as $25 a day on food and drink. If you intend to try the buffets and restaurants on the strip, expect to pay around $30 per meal on average.
Is Las Vegas cheap to visit?
There are plenty of cheap and free things to do in Las Vegas, making Las Vegas cheap to visit if you use the budget options here.
Why is Vegas so Cheap?
Las Vegas is so cheap because of the amount of surplus hotel rooms. During holidays and conventions, the rooms do fill to capacity but when you visit Las Vegas outside of peak times, hotels are quieter and room rates drop. Hotels often lower their hotel prices in the hope you will spend money in their restaurants and casinos.
How much should I bring to Vegas?
If you don’t intend on spending too much money on gambling, you can expect to pay around $70 a day if you: stick to the budget hotels on the strip, enjoy the free attractions, eat at chain restaurants and avoid room service.
Are drinks free in Vegas casinos?
Drinks in Las Vegas casinos are free if you are spending money in the casinos. However, it is recommend you tip the servers if you want them to come back and offer another round.
How much money do I need for 7 days in Vegas?
On a budget, you can expect to pay $600 for a week – $350 for accommodation, $40 per day on food and drink and a few paid attractions.
What is the cheapest time to go to Vegas?
The cheapest months to visit Las Vegas are January, February, April, September and October. Check your dates don’t clash with conventions or concerts to get the best price. Also, visit during the week to save money on hotels.
Should I bring cash to Vegas?
It is best to bring cash for cabs, tipping and gambling but remember to avoid taking all your cash out at once for gambling.You can use a credit card in most stores, restaurants and box offices.
What can you do for free in Las Vegas?
There are many free things to do in Las Vegas, including:
- Bellagio Fountains
- Ethel M Chocolate Factory
- Fremont Street Experience
- Seven Magic Mountains
- Flamingo Wildlife Habitat
- Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
- Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes
- The Mirage Volcano
How much does a meal cost in Las Vegas
Budget Breakfast – $5 – $10
Budget Lunch – $7 – $13
Budget Dinner – $10 – $25
How much do drinks cost in Las Vegas?
Drinks are free in casinos if you are gambling, but the typical price of a domestic beer in a bar or restaurant is $4 whilst a beer in a nightclub costs between $7 – $10.
How to drink cheap in Las Vegas?
Apart from enjoying the free drinks whilst gambling, take advantage of the happy hours in the bars and restaurants and stick to domestic beer and house wine. Avoid mixers; these are absurdly expensive in most places.
Helpful Resources:
Travel essentials:
- We LOVE this camera for our travel photography.
- For a cheap, easy and compact camera, we use this to vlog and take photographs.
- We use this travel drone (but make sure to check drone laws in your chosen destination first).
- This is our favourite travel Insurance because it covers so many activities and travel situations that could arise on longer trips but also offers year coverage.
What to pack:
- No matter where we travel to, I always take these trusty hand sanitizer’s and a mini first aid kit.
- We love these toiletry bags (especially great for smaller bathrooms) and choose a laptop bag like this as our hand luggage.
- We keep our devices charged on long travel days with these lightweight battery packs and bring these worldwide travel adaptors on all our trips.
- I still struggle not to overpack so stick to using an expandable suitcase like these, over backpack and always take my trusty luggage scales to avoid being charged at the airport.
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