Those extra costs really add up. Here's where you'll pay the most—and where you'll get the most bang for your buck.
Flying is expensive these days, and airfare is just the tip of the iceberg. Savvy travelers know that even if you fly the cheapest airlines, you’ll end up shelling out big bucks for all the other stuff: the parking, the drinks, the stays. And that goes double (at least!) when you’re parking, drinking and staying at the airport.
But not all airports are created equal, and neither are their prices. A new report from Casino.ca, a Canadian online casino and iGaming review site, ranks the cost of these perks and necessities at 50 of the busiest airports in North America, breaking them out by category in a handy list. You’ll definitely want to book your travel through some of these hubs! (Others, not so much.)
Ahead, we’ll tell you which airports cost you the most—long after you’ve bought your ticket—and where to go for the cheapest beer, parking and airport hotels around. Want to save some cash on either end of your trip? Keep reading to find out which airports are the most expensive and where you should connect instead.
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How were the most (and least) expensive airports determined?
To figure out which airports are the most and least expensive, the folks at Casino.ca started with Wikipedia’s list of the 50 busiest North American airports, then manually gathered price data for beer, parking and airport hotels.
They averaged beer prices from three different drink menus at each airport, using a pint of Budweiser as the standard. Hotel prices were determined by averaging the prices of the three closest hotels to the airport according to Booking.com, and economy airport-parking prices were taken from each airport’s website.
The analysts sorted the final ranking by the average cost of a visit to each airport, which includes one night of parking, a one-night hotel stay and one beer. All data was collected and analyzed in June and July 2025.
What is the most expensive airport in North America?
New Yorkers won’t be surprised to learn that LaGuardia Airport (LGA) earned the title of the most expensive airport in North America. According to the report, the average total cost of a beer, parking and airport hotel stay for a night was $381.41, which is a significant cost to pencil in when planning a trip.
On average, a single beer at LGA will run you $12.41, making it the second most expensive airport beer in North America. Parking is pricey too, at a whopping $37 per night. As for airport hotel stays, the average is $332 per night—$167 more than the overall average for all airports.
While the report doesn’t pinpoint the reasons why LGA is so expensive, we have a guess: New York has a reputation for being an especially expensive city in a whole host of areas. Parking and hotel stays are pricey citywide, as is booze.
But this may be the biggest surprise to travelers expecting to cough up major cash to visit the Big Apple: Though LGA is the most expensive airport in North America when it comes to extras, it’s actually among the cheapest airports in the United States when it comes to airfare. So if LGA is your default airport, the relatively low price of your ticket may offset the higher prices of your other purchases.
What other North American airports will cost you?
LaGuardia may take the cake as the most expensive, but it’s not the only airport that will have you dipping into your piggy bank before your next trip. The 10 most expensive airports in North America are:
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York: $381.41
- Denver International Airport (DEN) in Denver: $351.41
- Logan International Airport (BOS) in Boston: $335.91
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Dallas: $325.05
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York: $309.55
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco: $301.58
- San Diego International Airport (SAN) in San Diego: $282.13
- Miami International Airport (MIA) in Miami: $272.90
- Calgary International Airport (YYC) in Calgary, Canada: $259.07
- Midway International Airport (MDW) in Chicago: $258.10
What are the most wallet-friendly airports in North America?
Not every airport’s add-ons will break the bank, and that’s especially true if you’re traveling internationally. You’ll find some of the most budget-friendly North American airports in Mexico. In fact, half of the 10 cheapest airports are located south of the border.
Here are the top 10 most wallet-friendly airports:
- Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) in Tijuana, Mexico: $105.80
- William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston: $122.95
- Cancun International Airport (CUN) in Cancun, Mexico: $128.06
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in New Orleans: $142.53
- Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) in Guadalajara, Mexico: $143.59
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) in Phoenix: $146.41
- Monterrey International Airport (MTY) in Monterrey, Mexico: $153.28
- Mexico City International Airport (MEX) in Mexico City: $156.19
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in Raleigh, North Carolina: $160.21
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in Salt Lake City: $165.43
What are the best airports for grabbing a preflight beer?
If you love to relax at the bar and enjoy an ice-cold beer before catching your flight, you might want to plan some travel through Portland International Airport, where a beer averages just $4.41. Hot on its heels are Salt Lake City International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, which price their beers at an average $5.10 and $5.60, respectively.
On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find that preflight drink costs more than three times as much at Cancun International Airport, where a single beer is $14.92 on average. LaGuardia Airport isn’t far behind, with the average price for beer coming in at $12.41. And if you want to enjoy a cold one at Guadalajara International Airport, you’ll pay roughly $11.30.
What are the best airports for long-term parking?
There are few things more convenient than hopping off a plane and getting into your car parked in the airport lot. And at certain airports, it might not even be cost prohibitive! At William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, airport parking is just $14 per night, and in Cancun, Mexico, it’s only $15.14. Both Tampa International and Raleigh-Durham offer affordable airport parking at $16 each.
But if you live in Nashville, you might want to leave your car at home. The cost for a single night of airport parking at Nashville International is $42, with Miami International following closely behind at $41 per night. San Francisco and San Diego are also expensive, charging $40 per night.
What are the best airports for nearby hotel stays?
Sometimes you simply can’t avoid an airport hotel stay, like when you’re taking a very early or super late flight. If that’s part of your itinerary when traveling through Tijuana, Mexico, you’re in luck. A single night at an airport hotel at Tijuana International is just $77, followed by Cancun International and Houston’s William P. Hobby at just $98 and $101, respectively.
Try to plan around overnight stays if you’re traveling through LaGuardia, Denver and Dallas Fort Worth, though. A one-night stay near LaGuardia costs $332 per night on average; Denver comes in at $312, and Dallas Forth Worth isn’t far behind at $287.67 per night.
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Source:
- Casino.ca: “Revealing the Most and Least Affordable Airports in North America: 2025 Update”
