How Much Does a Trip to Vegas Cost?
The honest per-day math
Start with the room - and not the advertised rate. Nearly every Strip hotel adds a mandatory nightly resort fee (commonly in the mid-$30s to mid-$50s) plus roughly 13% room tax on both the rate and, at most properties, the fee. A '$79 room' is often a $130+ night once it all lands. Several resorts also charge for self-parking.
On top of the room, a realistic daily budget looks like: $40-$80 per person for casual food and coffee (double that if you want one good dinner), $20-$40 for getting around by rideshare or the Deuce/Monorail, and whatever you allocate for shows, attractions and gambling. Drinks on the Strip are expensive - a single cocktail at a resort bar can run $18-$25.
Sample 3-day budgets (per person, double occupancy, before flights)
Budget: ~$400-$700. Off-Strip or Downtown room, cheap eats and happy hours, free attractions (Bellagio fountains, Fremont Street), the bus instead of rideshare, little or no gambling.
Mid-range: ~$1,000-$2,000. A mid-Strip resort, one show, one nice dinner, a mix of casual meals, rideshares, and a modest gambling bankroll.
Blowout: $2,500+. Premium Strip room, headliner or Sphere tickets, a steakhouse or two, nightclub or dayclub entry, and a bigger bankroll. Bottle service alone can exceed an entire budget trip.
Prices swing hard with the calendar - big events (CES, F1, EDC, fights, New Year's) can double room rates. Timing matters more than any other single decision.
The costs people forget
Resort fees and parking (the big two), tips (dealers, cocktail servers, valet, housekeeping - budget $10-$20 a day), casino-floor ATM fees (often $8-$10 per withdrawal), bottled water and minibar markups, and ticket 'convenience' fees that add 20-30% to the advertised show price.
Run your own numbers
Averages hide more than they reveal - your trip cost is a handful of decisions (room, month, shows, bankroll). Our free calculator adds up the true cost including resort fees, tax, parking, dining, shows, gambling and transport, with every input under your control.
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Independent Las Vegas visitor guide — not affiliated with any hotel, casino, show, or the city. Prices, fees, shows, and hours change constantly; verify current details before you book.