When it comes to the holiday of love, getting in the mood can take a lot of moolah. However, it turns out that the cost of Valentine's Day around the world varies, depending on where you're located and what you decide to do with your date, according to a new report by Bloomy Days, an online florist. Obviously, Valentine's Day costs much less for couples looking to stay in and watch Netflix than for couples who want to go out with dinner and a movie. But how does a dinner date at a three-star restaurant in the Big Apple stack up next to a comparable restaurant meal in Venice?
For their Valentine’s Day Price Index 2017, Bloomy Days calculated and studied the average cost of a packed Valentine's Day date — consisting of all the most popular V-Day activities and gifts — in 50 different cities across the globe. For the purposes of the report, a Valentine's Day date includes a relaxing spa session, dinner and wine at a Michelin starred restaurant, movie tickets and snacks (popcorn and drinks), a bouquet of 12 red roses, and one night spent at a luxury hotel.
Turns out, some of the most expensive cities for celebrating Feb. 14 are in the United States, including Los Angeles, Calif., which ranks number one on the list. On the other end of the spectrum, Prague, Czech Republic is the most affordable city for couples to indulge in V-Day. In fact, the cost difference for the exact same Valentine's Day date is so big in some cities — like that of Prague and Los Angeles — that a couple could travel overseas for the holiday, have their romantic date, and have money left over for the flight back. Essentially, that means you'd get more bang for your buck by making a romantic trip to Prague than visiting Los Angeles. A romantic getaway that's actually within my budget? Sign me up, please!
Here are the top seven cities to celebrate Valentine's Day, from least expensive to most expensive, according to the Valentine's Day Price Index for 2017 by Bloomy Days:
1San Francisco, Calif.
While San Francisco is by no means one of the cheaper areas for a romantic date (remember, the report covers a total of 50 cities worldwide!), it's certainly one of the more inexpensive metropolitan areas in the United States. Dinner and wine at a fancy restaurant would total about $458, movie tickets (plus snacks) cost around $40, and a luxury hotel night would be around $394. A spa session is around $81. In total, you'd have to shell out about $1,021 for Valentine's Day in San Fran.
Now, some of you may be thinking, "Wait, that doesn't seem very inexpensive to me!" Again, keep in mind that the researchers added the total costs of all these activities and gifts together. In reality, most of us probably wouldn't fit the spa, movies, and dinner (not to mention the other things) into one single date. If you're already based in the Bay area, here's a comprehensive list of things to do with your honey on Feb. 14.
2Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne is the sixth most expensive city in the world, with a romantic dinner and hotel night costing $70-$90 more than what they'd cost in San Francisco. Movie tickets and snacks are roughly the same price, about $42. A day at the spa for two people is about $89, and roses cost about $64 (Note: In case you were wondering, Bloomy Days averaged the cost of a dozen roses from five different flower shops and several online retailers in each city to come up with an estimate). For a few extra bucks, you can spend Valentine's Day in Melbourne for around $1,033. Unsure of where to start? Check out this guide.
3Zürich, Switzerland
Up next: Zürich. Apart from being one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland, Zürich is home to several museums, art galleries, and other go-to attractions for visitors and residents alike. Catch an early evening flick with your Valentine's Day date for about $55 and then hit the spa, which is $119 and significantly more expensive than almost any of the other cities on this list. (Don't forget the roses! That's $45, please.) Dinner is $415 for two, which includes a full-course Valentine's Day meal. Then, round off the night at a four-star hotel for $404. Sounds like a lot, but in reality, Valentine's Day in Zürich is about $1,039 — not too much more expensive than the previous two cities.
4Sydney, Australia
Heads up! We're reaching the big league now. If you've been saving up for Valentine's Day this year, Sydney, Australia is a great location choice. I'd recommend going to the spa together since it's only about $66 for two people. Or consider going to the movies for around $43 (popcorn and drinks included, of course). Spending the night in a hotel is also relatively cheap at $250 (not bad at all, am I right?).
So what makes Sydney so expensive? The food. A nice meal with wine at a Michelin-starred restaurant costs nearly $591 on average. Skip the roses and save $91 (flowers die within a week, anyway). Overall, your date in Sydney would cost $1,042.
5New York, N.Y.
New York City is known for being one of the most expensive cities in the United States. As a resident living smack in the middle of Manhattan, I know this painful truth all too well. This year, if I want to enjoy a full-course meal at a fancy restaurant with my boyfriend, it'll cost us about $496. Movies, popcorn and drinks would cost us about $50 total, which sounds about right (thank goodness I've still got my student identification card). If we wanted to go to the spa for a couple of massages, that'd be $91, which is the same price for roses in Sydney.
Luckily, since we both live in the area we'll save some money when it comes to our sleeping quarters. If you did want to stay at a hotel, though, you'd have to pay around $343. In total, going on a romantic date on Feb. 14 in bustling New York City will cost you about $1,057.
6Venice, Italy
Ah, Venice. One of the most romantic cities in the world, if you ask me. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most expensive places to spend Valentine's Day, thanks to hefty hotel prices of around $429 (more than any other city on this list besides #1; see below). Combine that with a $489 V-Day dinner, $47 roses, and a spa session of $74, and well, you can do the math (V-Day in Venice costs around $1,076 total). There is a silver lining, though: Going to the movies in Venice is only $37 for two people, the cheapest movie prices on our list. Maybe forego the spa and watch two movies instead?
Here are a few tips for traveling to Venice.
7Los Angeles, Calif.
Finally, last but not least, there's Los Angeles. Valentine's Day costs a whopping $1,316.26 in Los Angeles, which is more than double the price of V-Day in Prague, the most affordable city on the price index (you'd only spend $458.28 there, although I wouldn't exactly call that cheap, either). Perhaps it's the proximity of Hollywood, but hotel prices in Los Angeles are through the roof at $535, the most expensive out of all 50 cities. Roses are $50, movies are $40, and a spa day costs $141. I'd recommend going dutch on dinner, which will cost you and your partner $549, just a few dollars more than a hotel night. Congratulations, L.A., you win.
All in all, it's safe to say that Valentine's Day is expensive no matter where you go. No wonder it's considered a commercial holiday. The real question is, where can you go so that you can enjoy more for less? Hopefully this year, you went big and stayed home.
