Here’s What It Could Cost You To Actually Go To The Super Bowl This Year

By Hilarey Wojtowicz   ‧   01/21/2019   ‧   Thrive /
super bowl liii

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Super Bowl LIII kicks off Sunday, February 3, 2019 at Mercedes-Benzes Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. With the New England Patriots taking on the Los Angeles Rams this year, it’s sure to be an awesome event. If you’re a football fan who’s always wanted to go to the big game, here’s what it could actually cost you this year. Between flights, hotels, game tickets and more, it’ll run you a pretty penny. But then again, it might be worth the price if you’re a super fan.

Game Tickets

As of January 10, 2019, less than one month until the big game, the average price for one Super Bowl ticket was $6,800. To put that into perspective, you could buy about 1,374 Starbucks grande iced caramel lattes with that money, or one per day for almost four years.

If you think it’s worth it, though, consider all ticket prices. We checked out a number of websites to compare prices. Interestingly enough, the more we checked, the lower the prices dropped. Overall, we found that the starting prices of tickets ranged from $3,110 to $4,750, depending on the website. But remember: These prices won’t last.

  • Ticketmaster: $4,750. Includes a three-hour pregame party with all-inclusive food and drinks, entertainment and meet-and-greets with NFL legends.
  • StubHub: $4,050. Includes access to a tailgate party before the game.
  • VividSeats: $3,768. No additional experience included.
  • TicketiQ: $3,325. No additional experience included.
  • SeatGeek: $3,267. No additional experience included.
  • TicketNetwork: $3,110. No additional experience included.

Flights

super bowl liii flights

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Now, if you live in the Atlanta area or don’t mind road trips, transportation to and from the game might be easy. However, if you’re not local enough to make the drive, you’ll probably need a flight.

Here’s what it could cost for one person to fly nonstop to Atlanta on February 2 and return on February 4 from a few major cities in the U.S., according to Google Flights:

  • New York City: $359
  • Los Angeles: $401
  • Chicago: $201
  • Boston: $320
  • Seattle: $445
  • Dallas: $303

Hotels

Between the tailgates and the after parties, it’d be smart for anyone attending the big game to get a hotel room for at least two nights. Here are the six cheapest hotel prices that we could find in Atlanta for stays between February 2 and February 4, according to TripAdvisor:

  • Super 8 By Wyndham Atlanta Northeast GA: $411 per night
  • Homewood Suites By Hilton Atlanta-Cumberland Galleria: $503 per night
  • Super Inn: $519 per night
  • Hampton Inn Atlanta-Permiter Center: $514 per night
  • Motel 6 Atlanta-Stadium SE: $630 per night
  • Comfort Suites Atlanta Airport: $799 per night

With these prices, two-night stays during Super Bowl LIII weekend could cost you anywhere from $822 to $1,598.

Extras

If you’re looking to make the weekend even more fun, there are other events and experiences that you could attend. From music festivals to breakfast with NFL legends, here are a few extras you could tack onto your Super Bowl LIII experience and what they would cost:

Total Cost

super bowl liii total cost

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Of course, the cost of going to the Super Bowl would also include other miscellaneous expenses like meals, but for the sake of this article, we’re going to stick to the big ones we listed above.

In order to attend Super Bowl LIII in the cheapest way possible, you’d have to have the perfect circumstances apply to you. This would mean living in Chicago so you could get the cheapest flight to Atlanta, buying your ticket through TicketNetwork, booking a room at the Super 8 By Wyndham hotel and only attending the Super Bowl LIVE Presented By Verizon free event.

Between these four things, it would cost at least $3,722 to go to Super Bowl LIII.

How To Save

If you’re looking to get up close and personal with the Super Bowl energy in Atlanta this year but don’t want to pay the big bucks above, there are a few ways to save.

First, skip the game tickets. Instead, watch the game at a local bar or restaurant in Atlanta while drinking a cold beer and eating some southern comfort food. You’ll save not only on the ticket price, but also on the food and beverages at the stadium.

Next, skip the hotel. Book an Airbnb and pay as little as $23 per night during Super Bowl weekend. You won’t be spending a ton of time in your room anyway, so does it really matter where you stay?

Then, if you can, road trip it. Now, it could still end up costing a decent amount of money depending on the type of vehicle you drive and what the price of gas is at the time. You can calculate all of this out with GasBuddy’s Trip Cost Calculator. For instance, if you drive a 2012 Hyundai Accent from New York City to Atlanta for the big game, it would cost about $80 roundtrip.

Lastly, attend only the free events in town. Why pay more than you have to? Super Bowl weekend in Atlanta is sure to be bustling with people and energy. Walking down the streets or grabbing a drink at a local bar could be cost effective and just as much fun.

In the end, Super Bowls are expensive experiences. You can surely make just as many memories by watching the big game from home. But if you’re a super fan who plans to attend the game in person eventually, all we have to say is start saving now. With a few smart money moves, you’ll be able to swing the big price tag and sit in the stadium cheering on your team without freaking out about the emptiness of your wallet.

All prices are accurate as of Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

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