Austin ranks among most expensive cities to see a concert: study

Taylor Girtman
·2 min read
2

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When you add up the costs of concert tickets, Ubers, drinks and flights —traveling to see your favorite artist isn’t cheap, especially in the Live Music Capital of the World.

A study from Austin-based travel company Upgraded Points calculated the most and least expensive cities for a weekend trip to see a concert. The study, released Tuesday, measured concert costs in the 50 largest US cities.

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Concert ticket prices ranked highest in Austin at $279.03 on average, according to the study. Average tickets in Las Vegas, San Francisco and New York followed at $260.52, $244.33 and $231.06, respectively.

But the cost of concert tickets was just one part of the study. Austin also ranked among the most expensive cities to travel to for a concert when flight, meal, rideshare and other costs were totaled.

READ MORE: How much money did the 2023 ACL Music Festival bring to Austin?

On average, it costs $1,331.73 per person for a weekend trip to Austin for a concert.

The study calculated the total costs based on eight cost factors: concert ticket cost, airfare cost, Airbnb nightly price for two nights, rideshare costs for two rides, cost of beers inside the venue, cost of alcohol outside the venue, meal costs for five meals and the close of a tour t-shirt.

Austin also ranked as the city with the third most expensive parking costs behind San Francisco and Los Angeles. Parking passes were about $66 on average.

Here are the top 10 most expensive cities for a weekend concert trip, according to the study:

  • New York, New York: $1,792.94

  • San Francisco, California: $1,691.80

  • Los Angeles, California: $1,516.37

  • Boston, Massachusetts: $1,453.77

  • Seattle, Washington: $1,406.86

  • San Diego, California: $1,364.86

  • Washington, DC: $1,351.38

  • Virginia Beach, Virginia: $1,348.94

  • Chicago, Illinois: $1,334.06

  • Austin, Texas: $1,331.73

These are the least expensive cities on the list:

  • Lexington, Kentucky: $1,037.05

  • Cleveland, Ohio: $1,073.19

  • Cincinnati, Ohio: $1,096.84

  • Memphis, Tennessee: $1,123.31

  • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: $1,127.82

  • Baltimore, Maryland: $1,129

  • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: $1,139.66

  • St. Louis, Missouri: $1,140.02

  • Louisville, Kentucky: $1,140.79

  • Orlando, Florida: $1,141.11

The full study with a cost breakdown is available online.

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