Date Night Inflation: Average US Date Now Costs $189, Up 12.5%

Americans are paying up to swipe right. The average all-in cost of a date in the US has climbed to $189, a 12.5% jump from $168 the year prior, according to BMO Financial Group. That is running well ahead of headline CPI, and it is showing up in consumer behavior.

The headline number

The BMO Real Financial Progress Index pegs the average all-in spend on a date in America, including pre-date grooming and gas money, at $189, up 12.5% from $168 in 2025. Americans spent an average of $2,323 on dates over the past year.

BMO called it “date-flation,” and it far outpaced the 2.7% inflation rise over the same period. In other words, the cost of courtship is compounding roughly 4x faster than the broader basket.

Who is getting hit hardest

Millennials now spend an average of $252 on date nights, up 32% from 2025, while Gen Z spends $205, up from $194. That is the cohort with the least balance-sheet cushion, and it shows.

About 50% of Gen Z and 40% of millennials say dating costs are getting in the way of their financial goals.

Behavior is shifting

Half of Americans who date or are open to dating said they have gone on fewer dates or chosen less expensive activities because of inflation or the high cost of living, BMO found. More than four in 10, 44%, said they have changed or adjusted date plans for financial reasons.

The average American who went on a date reported going out about 12 times in the past year, down from around 14 in 2025, BMO found. Fewer trips out of the house is a direct hit to restaurants, bars, and rideshare volume.

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Why traders should care

The cost stack is the tell. Tips have moved from 15% to 20-25%, drinks have doubled in five years, and a normal date now requires rideshares on both ends. Every one of those line items sits inside a publicly traded ticker.

47% of singles say dating is simply not financially worth it, while 58% of people in serious relationships or already married say they are financially dependent on their significant other, up from 40% in 2025. That is a demand signal that reaches beyond restaurants into dating apps and discretionary spend.

Options market and stocks to watch

Watch for consumer discretionary and app-based names most exposed to the dating and night-out economy:

• MTCH — Match Group runs Tinder and Hinge. Watch for engagement and paid-subscriber trends if daters go on fewer, cheaper outings.
• BMBL — Bumble is in the same discretionary bucket. Watch for whether monetization holds up as Gen Z pulls back.
• DASH — DoorDash could benefit if couples trade the $189 night out for delivery at home.
• UBER — Rideshare is inside the $189 stack on both ends of the night. Watch for trip-volume commentary.
• CAKE — Cheesecake Factory and casual-dining peers are directly exposed to the pullback in dine-out frequency.

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