Map: A look how expensive dating is across U.S. states
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This post has been updated.
The average cost of a date today — in the form of dinner for two, a bottle of wine, and two movie tickets — is about $102.32 in the U.S., according to online-dating giant Match.com (MTCH).
And the average single American spent $1,596 on dating in 2016, according to Match’s annual survey of more than 5,000 people.
New York topped the list for the highest average cost for a date night at $297.27. New Jersey ranked second at $259.60, followed by Hawaii and Connecticut.
Meanwhile, South Dakota came in as the least expensive date night, with an average cost of just $38.27. North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa were runner-ups for least expensive.
Maximize your date night at a low cost
Given the price of trying to find a potential romantic partner, it’s important to get creative with date night options.
And there are alternatives to impress a date without breaking the bank. To rent a Citibike in NYC, it’s $12 for an entire day pass or only $3 for 30 minutes. In New Jersey, a sunset-cruise is $27 per a person.
Meanwhile, in particularly scenic states, a date could be free! On a select few dates a year, all national parks offer free admission.
If it’s the first date, however, it might be wise to keep it as simple as possible. Dandan Zhu, owner of the recruitment firm DG Recruit, suggests grabbing a coffee as opposed to dinner.
“Scheduling a 30-minute coffee date gives you enough time to get to know your match before deciding if he’s worth another meeting,” Zhu told the New York Post.
If the quest for love pays off, then comes another financial requirement — wedding expenses and marriage.
“Don’t get married though,” Yahoo Finance’s Jen Rogers told the Yahoo Finance panel above, “because that’s way more expensive.”