Budget · Miami · United States
Miami on a budget
What a trip to Miami really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Miami is expensive for most international visitors. Budget roughly $90–$150 per person per day on a tight budget, $230–$400 mid-range and $550–$1,500 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in August–September.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $90–$150 a day
- Mid-range
- $230–$400 a day
- Luxury
- $550–$1,500 a day
- Local currency
- USD
- Free sights
- 7
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 | $90–$150 | $270–$450 | $450–$750 | $630–$1,050 |
| Mid-range | $230–$400 | $690–$1,200 | $1,150–$2,000 | $1,610–$2,800 |
| Luxury | $550–$1,500 | $1,650–$4,500 | $2,750–$7,500 | $3,850–$10,500 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Miami, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Metrorail or Metrobus ride | about $2.25 |
| Metromover and city trolleys | free |
| Cuban coffee (cafecito or colada) | about $1.50–$3 |
| Cuban sandwich | about $10–$15 |
| Cocktail in a South Beach bar | about $16–$25 |
| Mid-range dinner, before tip | about $45–$80 per person |
| Hotel resort or destination fee, per night | about $25–$45 |
| Museum ticket (PAMM, Frost Science, Vizcaya) | about $20–$35 |
Money-saving tips
- Use the free Metromover and trolleys, which cover Downtown, Brickell and much of Miami Beach.
- Visit in May or November for warm weather at lower prices than the December to April peak.
- Check bills for automatic service charges before adding a tip, especially on Miami Beach.
- Eat at Cuban cafés and ventanitas, where coffee and pastries cost a fraction of beachfront café prices.
- Ask the price before ordering Ocean Drive's oversized 'specials' and giant cocktails, which can be very expensive.
- Summer brings deep hotel discounts and Miami Spice set menus, if you can handle the heat and storm risk.
Free things to do
- South Beach — The beach at Lummus Park, in front of Ocean Drive, is the classic Miami scene: wide pale sand, turquoise water, lifeguard towers painted in bright colours and volleyball courts, with the Art Deco hotels behind.
- Art Deco Historic District — Miami Beach's Art Deco district has hundreds of 1920s–1940s buildings, many restored in pastel colours, with porthole windows, neon signs and 'eyebrow' sunshades over the windows.
- Little Havana and Calle Ocho — Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) is the spine of Little Havana: cigar shops with rollers at work, walk-up windows serving tiny cups of Cuban coffee and Máximo Gómez Park, where older men play dominoes.
- Lincoln Road — Lincoln Road is a pedestrian mall running across South Beach, lined with shops and outdoor restaurant terraces.
- Miami Design District — The Design District packs luxury fashion flagships, design showrooms and restaurants into a few blocks of striking modern architecture, with public art such as Buckminster Fuller's Fly's Eye Dome and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, which has free admission.
- South Pointe Park — At the southern tip of Miami Beach, South Pointe Park has lawns, a playground, a waterfront promenade and a fishing pier overlooking Government Cut, the channel where cruise ships pass close to shore on their way out to sea.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for families, culture and budget
Downtown Miami
Bayfront museums, the arena and the cruise port
$ · Best for culture, food lovers and budget
Little Havana
Calle Ocho, Cuban coffee windows and domino games
Eating well for less
- Croquetas — Cuban bakeries and cafés across the city.
- Frita cubana — Long-running frita counters on Calle Ocho in Little Havana.
- Arepas — Venezuelan restaurants in Doral and arepa counters across the city.
- Conch fritters — Seafood shacks, Caribbean restaurants and Keys-style waterfront bars.
Getting around for less
EASY Card and GO Miami-Dade Transit app
Miami-Dade's reloadable fare card and official app pay for Metrorail and Metrobus; Metromover and the city trolleys are free.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Miami cost?
About $1,150–$2,000 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $450–$750 on a tight budget.
+Is Miami expensive?
It is expensive for international visitors. Use the free Metromover and trolleys, which cover Downtown, Brickell and much of Miami Beach.
+How much money do I need per day in Miami?
Roughly $90–$150 on a budget and $230–$400 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Miami?
Usually in August–September.