Budget · Key West · United States
Key West on a budget
What a trip to Key West really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Andreas Lamecker, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
Key West is very expensive for most international visitors. Budget roughly $150–$230 per person per day on a tight budget, $320–$520 mid-range and $700–$1,800 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in September.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $150–$230 a day
- Mid-range
- $320–$520 a day
- Luxury
- $700–$1,800 a day
- Local currency
- USD
- Free sights
- 5
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $150–$230 | $450–$690 | $750–$1,150 | $1,050–$1,610 |
| Mid-range | $320–$520 | $960–$1,560 | $1,600–$2,600 | $2,240–$3,640 |
| Luxury | $700–$1,800 | $2,100–$5,400 | $3,500–$9,000 | $4,900–$12,600 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Key West, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Duval Loop bus | free |
| Bike rental per day | about $15–$25 |
| Slice of Key lime pie | about $8–$12 |
| Conch fritters basket | about $12–$17 |
| Cuban coffee | about $2–$4 |
| Hemingway Home admission | about $18–$22 |
| Half-day snorkel trip | about $60–$120 |
| Mid-range Old Town guest house | about $300–$550 per night in high season |
Money-saving tips
- Visit between June and early December, outside holiday weeks, for much lower room rates.
- Stay in New Town or on Stock Island to save on accommodation, then bike or bus into Old Town.
- Mallory Square at sunset, Duval Street, the cemetery and the Southernmost Point are free.
- Choose a guest house with free bikes and breakfast to cut daily costs.
- Check resort and parking fees, which can add significantly to quoted rates.
- Buy Cuban sandwiches and coffee from walk-up windows instead of sit-down cafés.
Free things to do
- Mallory Square Sunset Celebration — Every evening the dock at Mallory Square fills with jugglers, tightrope walkers, musicians and food carts for the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.
- Duval Street — The island's main street runs from the Gulf to the Atlantic, with long-running bars such as Sloppy Joe's and Captain Tony's, galleries, cigar shops and restaurants.
- Southernmost Point buoy — A large painted concrete buoy at the corner of Whitehead and South streets marks the southernmost point of the continental United States, with the note that Cuba is 90 miles away.
- Key West Cemetery — Founded in 1847, the city cemetery has above-ground vaults because of the high water table, a memorial to sailors of the USS Maine, and witty epitaphs such as 'I told you I was sick'.
- Historic Seaport harbour walk — A boardwalk around Key West Bight passes schooners, fishing boats, tarpon cruising under the docks and open-air raw bars.
Where to stay on a budget
$$$ · Best for budget, food lovers and solo travellers
Bahama Village
Historic Afro-Caribbean quarter of small houses, roosters and casual restaurants
$$$ · Best for budget and families
New Town
Chain hotels along North Roosevelt Boulevard near the island entrance
$$$ · Best for food lovers, quiet stays and budget
Stock Island
Working waterfront next door with marinas and fish-house restaurants
Eating well for less
- Conch fritters — Seafood shacks at the Historic Seaport and along Duval Street.
- Cuban sandwich — Cuban cafés and takeaway windows around Old Town and New Town.
Getting around for less
Key West is about 6 km long and 3 km wide, and Old Town is flat and compact, so bikes, walking and the free Duval Loop bus cover most trips. Cars are more hindrance than help in Old Town, where parking is scarce.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Key West cost?
About $1,600–$2,600 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $750–$1,150 on a tight budget.
+Is Key West expensive?
It is very expensive for international visitors. Visit between June and early December, outside holiday weeks, for much lower room rates.
+How much money do I need per day in Key West?
Roughly $150–$230 on a budget and $320–$520 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Key West?
Usually in September.