For a mid-range Las Vegas trip, plan on about $355 per adult per day in spending money, or $255 without gambling, on top of your hotel and flights. A budget trip can run under $92 a day before gambling. Your hotel’s resort fee, parking and show tickets can add a lot to that, so our calculator below works them out at the prices we track for each hotel and show.
Las Vegas Trip Cost Calculator
The calculator gives two numbers: your spending money, what you’ll pay once you’re in Las Vegas, and the whole trip, which adds the room and the tickets you book ahead. Pick a hotel to add its lowest rate with the resort fee and the 13.38% hotel tax, or just its resort fee if your room is paid and the fee is due at the hotel. Add shows, attractions and tours at their lowest prices with fees and tax. Food, rides, nights out, gambling and shopping start from our estimates for your travel style; change any of them.
How Much Spending Money for Vegas, by Travel Style
Here is what our starting estimates add up to for two adults spending 4 days (3 nights) in Las Vegas, without the hotel room or show tickets:
| For 2 adults, 4 days | Budget | Mid-range | Splurge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and drinks | $480 | $1,120 | $2,000 |
| Getting around | $56 | $160 | $400 |
| Airport taxi, both ways | $63 | $63 | $63 |
| Nights out | $0 | $240 | $900 |
| Tips | $101 | $260 | $537 |
| Shopping and souvenirs | $40 | $200 | $600 |
| Gambling budget | $160 | $800 | $2,000 |
| Spending money | $900 | $2,842 | $6,500 |
| Per adult, per day | $112 | $355 | $812 |
| Without gambling, per adult, per day | $92 | $255 | $562 |
For comparison, Las Vegas visitors spent an average of $615 on food and drink over their trip in 2024, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s visitor survey; they stayed 3.4 nights on average. The mid-range estimate of $140 a day for food and drinks sits close to that.
Spending Money for 3, 4, 5 or 7 Days
Per adult, for two people sharing the trip, with the same estimates:
| Trip length | Budget | Mid-range | Splurge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days (2 nights) | $349 $289 without gambling | $1,086 $786 without gambling | $2,475 $1,725 without gambling |
| 4 days (3 nights) | $450 $370 without gambling | $1,421 $1,021 without gambling | $3,250 $2,250 without gambling |
| 5 days (4 nights) | $551 $451 without gambling | $1,756 $1,256 without gambling | $4,024 $2,774 without gambling |
| 7 days (6 nights) | $750 $610 without gambling | $2,426 $1,726 without gambling | $5,573 $3,823 without gambling |
What Things Cost in Las Vegas
Your hotel: resort fee and tax
Most Las Vegas resorts charge a nightly resort fee on top of the room. On the Strip, it reaches $55 a night at 16 of the 36 hotels we track, including Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Wynn and The Venetian; downtown and off-Strip fees are usually lower, and a few hotels charge none. Hotel tax, 13.38% on the Strip, applies to the room and the resort fee. Our resort fee guide lists every hotel’s fee and what it includes, and our hotel deals show each rate with its fee already added.
Parking
If you drive, most Strip resorts charge hotel guests about $20 a night to self-park; Treasure Island, Sahara and Circus Circus park free, and Wynn, Encore and Fontainebleau don’t charge their hotel guests. See every hotel’s rates in our Las Vegas parking fees guide; the calculator adds your hotel’s.
Getting around
- The Deuce bus runs along the Strip and downtown: $8 for a 24-hour pass, $20 for 3 days, according to the RTC.
- Airport taxi: the Nevada Taxicab Authority sets zone fares from the airport to the Strip: $22.25 to the south end, $26.25 to the middle and $30.25 to the north end, plus a $2.40 airport pick-up fee, 3% excise tax and $3 if you pay by card.
- Rideshare prices move with the time and the crowds, and rise after big events. Our guide to getting around without a car compares the options.
Shows and attractions
Show tickets are taxed: Nevada’s Live Entertainment Tax adds up to 9% to the ticket. Our shows page and attractions page list every ticket at its lowest price with fees and tax, and the calculator uses those prices. In the visitor survey, the visitors who spent on shows or entertainment spent $322 on average in 2024.
Gambling
Gambling is a budget, not a cost you can predict. In 2024, 78% of Las Vegas visitors gambled, and those who did set aside an average of $820 for the trip; the median was $500, according to the LVCVA survey. Decide your number before you go, and only count money you can afford to lose.
Ways to Spend Less in Las Vegas
- Compare the all-in price of hotels, resort fee included: a cheap room with a $55 fee can cost more than a pricier room downtown with a lower one. Our hotel deals do the math for you.
- Book shows through a deal: our shows page lists the lowest price we found for each show, with fees and tax, and where to book it.
- Mix in free sights: the Bellagio fountains, the Conservatory, Fremont Street’s canopy show. See our free things to do in Las Vegas.
- Eat at happy hour: many Strip restaurants and bars cut prices in the late afternoon. See our best happy hours in Las Vegas.
- Skip the rental car if you stay on the Strip: between parking and gas, the Deuce bus and a few rides usually cost less.
- Stay off the Strip if you have a car: most locals casinos park free, and their resort fees are often lower. See our Vegas on a budget guide.
Prefer a spreadsheet? Our free Las Vegas travel budget template lets you plan every line of the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much spending money do I need for Vegas for 5 days?
For one adult on a mid-range trip, about $1,756 for 5 days with our estimates, including $100 a day for gambling, or $1,256 without it; on a budget, $451 before gambling. Your hotel and show tickets come on top: add them in the calculator.
How much money should I bring to Vegas per day?
Plan on about $92 a day per adult on a budget and $255 on a mid-range trip, before gambling. Add your gambling budget on top, and only money you can afford to lose.
Is $1,000 enough for a trip to Vegas?
For spending money alone, $1,000 covers a budget trip of several days for one person, or a short mid-range weekend. With a hotel room, it depends on the hotel and the dates: run your trip through the calculator above to see.
Are resort fees included in hotel prices?
They are part of what you pay, whether the booking site collects them or the hotel charges them at check-in, and hotel tax applies to them too. Our hotel deals show every rate with the resort fee added.
How much should I tip in Las Vegas?
Tipping is expected for most service in Las Vegas, as elsewhere in the US: servers and bartenders usually get 15% to 20%, and many visitors leave housekeeping a few dollars a night. The calculator adds your tip percentage to food and drinks, and a nightly amount for housekeeping.
