• The most expensive city for a first date is Zurich, with dates costing more than $360.
• A night out in Paris takes more than 15 hours of work, making it the hardest city for residents to afford a first date.
• Dubai is one of the easiest cities for locals to afford a date, with low prices and just over 8 hours of work needed.

As inflation continues to impact daily expenses, a recent survey reveals that Americans are now spending an average of $125.60 on first dates, with some shelling out over $300. To estimate the price of a typical first date across major cities worldwide, The Forex Complex created a “date night bundle” including dinner, wine, movie tickets, coffee, flowers, and a 10 km taxi ride. Local affordability was measured by how many minutes of work a median-income resident needs to pay for the date. Visitor pricing pressure was measured by the Visitor-Pain Index, which compares local prices in USD to New York levels.

City	DateBasket USD	Visitor-Pain Index	How long locals must work to pay for the same night (min)
New York City	346.22	★	694 min (11 h 34 m)
Zurich	369.86	1.63	498 min (8 h 18 m)
Oslo	314.82	1.25	811 min (13 h 31 m)
Paris	309.50	1.14	925 min (15 h 25 m)
London	281.25	1.02	718 min (11 h 58 m)
Copenhagen	254.31	1.43	585 min (9 h 45 m)
Berlin	245.46	1.36	745 min (12 h 25 m)
Tokyo	209.03	1.08	876 min (14 h 36 m)
Singapore	206.24	0.99	526 min (8 h 46 m)
Sydney	199.17	1.32	489 min (8 h 9 m)
Dubai	194.11	1.37	497 min (8 h 17 m)

You can access the full research findings by following this link.

Zurich is the most expensive city for a first date at $369.86 for Americans. Locals only need to work 498 minutes (just over 8 hours) to afford it—less time than in any other city on the list. With a visitor-pain index of 1.63, Zurich is tough for tourists but surprisingly manageable for residents because of high local wages.

Oslo takes second place with a date cost of $314.82. Residents work 811 minutes (over 13 hours) to afford the night out—5 hours more than in Zurich. The visitor-pain index is 1.25, showing the experience is easier on tourists than in Zurich but harder for locals due to lower pay.

Paris is third with a cost of $309.50. Locals spend 925 minutes (more than 15 hours) to pay for a date—the longest work time on the list. Its visitor-pain index is 1.14. The price isn’t the highest, but the time it takes shows how much lower wages stretch affordability.

London is the fourth costliest city for first dates reaching $281.25. Locals need 718 minutes (just under 12 hours) to afford a night out. With a visitor-pain index of 1.02, it’s closer to the New York baseline, but residents still spend more time than those in Zurich or Sydney for a cheaper date.

Copenhagen ranks fifth with a date cost of $254.31. Residents work 585 minutes (under 10 hours), and the visitor-pain index is 1.43. Though cheaper than London, it’s more expensive for visitors and still takes more work time than in cities like Sydney or Singapore.

Berlin follows in sixth with first dates costing around $245.46 and takes the sixth place. Residents spend 745 minutes (over 12 hours) to pay for a date. The visitor-pain index is 1.36. Even though it’s less costly than Copenhagen, lower earnings mean locals work longer for the same experience.

In seventh, Tokyo’s average date costs $209.03. Despite the lower price, locals need 876 minutes (about 14 and a half hours)—more than in Berlin, London, or Oslo. Its visitor-pain index is 1.08, pointing to moderate cost for tourists but a high burden for residents.

Singapore comes in at $206.24 and takes eighth place. Locals work 526 minutes (under 9 hours), and the visitor-pain index is 0.99, the lowest on the list. It’s one of the few cities where both tourists and locals get a relatively easier experience.

Sydney is the ninth most expensive city for first dates, with costs reaching $199.17. Locals work just 489 minutes (just over 8 hours)—the shortest time needed overall. The visitor-pain index is 1.32, meaning it still feels pricey for tourists, but residents get the best deal.

Dubai rounds out the top ten at $194.11. Residents work only 497 minutes (8 hours, 17 minutes), putting it close to Sydney and Zurich in time. The visitor-pain index is 1.37, similar to Berlin, making it easier for locals but still tough on visitors.

New York isn’t ranked, but serves as the comparison point with average first dates costing $346.22. The visitor-pain index is set at 1.00, and residents work 694 minutes, or 11 and a half hours, to afford the city’s $346.22 date night. Compared to Zurich and Sydney, New York costs more in time, even when it’s not the most expensive.

A spokesperson from The Forex Complex commented on the study: “What’s striking is how uneven the experience of the same date can be depending on where you live. In some cities, a night out is a casual evening that fits easily into the weekly budget. In others, it’s closer to a financial commitment that takes more than a day’s work to fund. This gap between cost and local income tells us a lot about daily life pressures that aren’t visible from prices alone.”