Martinis cost $37 and bottled water will set you back 18 bucks: Welcome to Las Vegas in 2025
Las Vegas has never been as expensive. High prices for hotels, food, and entertainment are keeping tourists away from Sin City.
As one of the world’s premier travel destinations, Las Vegas used to be a relatively cheap place to visit - at least there were plenty of alternatives for those on a budget. Sadly, that’s no longer the case.
For the 40 million visitors who make the trip on average per year, everything is a lot more expensive than it was 10-20 years ago - hotels, food, and entertainment.
Staying over in Las Vegas
Let’s start off by looking at accommodation. There are some reasonable offers for those want to experience the bright lights of Sin City, but have to keep within a budget. The cheapest hotel rooms on offer in 2025 range from $50–$150 per night, for the most basic room, usually midweek. A room for two adults at Planet Hollywood comes in at around $80 including all taxes and fees.
Stepping up a level, expect to pay $850+ for a luxury suite at The Venetian Resort on the Strip, although you can get cheaper rooms for around $200.
Food and drink prices have also skyrocketed. A Billionaire burger, served with provolone, mushrooms and onion marmalade at Holsteins will set you back $38, and to wash it down, a share boozy cookies and cream shake adds another $20 onto the bill.
Expect to forage deeper into your pockets if you fancy an alcoholic drink. A can of beer is reasonably priced at $8-10 but it starts to get pricey when ordering cocktails, bottles of wine or spirits. For example, at Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace, the average price per head is $30–$50 while an Apple Martini comes in at $38.
Bear in mind that these are bar prices, most places have bottle services where booking table for friends can cost from $700 or even double that.
Less tips in Las Vegas
And there there’s tips - 15%-20% of the total bill for good waitress service, leave 15% of the total or $1-$2 per drink to a bartender. And remember others will want to receive a tip for their services too - cab drivers, the dealer and host at the casino, room service, restroom attendants...
A measure of how expensive Vegas has become, is that people are tipping less. As prices surges, there is less disposable income left to leave a tip. So while digesting that $38 burger, think about the $7 service charge you’ll be expected to give the person who served you.
Price gouging and inflation have made Las Vegas more expensive than ever - plus a new generation who are doing their gambling online rather at the casino table. The city was relatively cheap years ago because of its gambling culture - visitors would spend a lot of money in the casinos and so everything was factored in and kept inexpensive to maintain it an attractive destination. Sadly that’s a thing of the past.
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