Average Cost of a Date Night in Minnesota

With Valentine's Day around the corner, a question came to mind: How much does a date night in Minnesota actually cost these days? I feel like every time my husband and I go out, it's always over $100, and that's if we're just doing dinner.

I did a bit of Googling, but my search didn't lead me to any recent studies, so I did some extra research to find just how much, on average, Minnesotans are spending on date nights.

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How Much is the Average Date Night in Minnesota?

I found an article from Business Insider where they looked at the cost of a date night in each state. However, this came out in 2018. Prices have DRAMATICALLY increased since then.

So here's what I did: I peeked at their number and then figured in inflation to get our final average cost of a date night in Minnesota.

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Business Insider's 2018 study defined a date night as dinner for two, a bottle of wine, and tickets to a movie. They found that the average date night in Minnesota costs $109.81.

According to the website CPI Inflation Calculator, inflation between 2018 and 2026 has been 26.7%.

So, calculating for inflation and based on Business Insider's original findings, the average date night in Minnesota in 2026 costs around $139.13. Ouch.

But I felt like that number was still low. So I did my own personal calculations.

Ridofranz

Why I Think Date Nights Cost Way More

I feel like if my husband and I go out for a nice date night, we can spend $139.13 on just dinner and drinks, not counting movie tickets.

Based on personal experience, I just think that number is too low, so I did my own calculations.

Let's say you're going to eat at a sit-down restaurant that's not the fanciest but also isn't a casual place. I'd estimate that a meal would be about $25 per person.

Then you've got drinks. It is a date night, after all. I don't know about you, but it's not often that my husband and I get a whole bottle of wine when we go out, we usually get a cocktail or two. So let's say a cocktail is around $14 each, and you each get two.

After dinner, you have to tip your waiter. Let's say the service was average, so 20% tip on top of $78 (25+25+14+14) brings us to a total of $93.60.

Alright, then a movie is next on the date night plans! Let's say the movie tickets are $16.25 each, plus taxes and fees, you're at $39.12 total to get into the movie (that's based on Marcus Theaters' prices). And don't tell me you aren't getting popcorn while you're there. One large popcorn to share will be about $10.

Dinner, drinks, tip, movie tickets, and popcorn bring us to a grand total of... $142.72! Actually, really close to the number we said at the beginning. What do you think, do you think that this number is accurate?

Also, keep in mind that this isn't accounting for a babysitter, great service at the restaurant which means you'll leave a higher tip, or wanting a pop when you're at the movie.