How Much Money Do You Need for 5 Days in Las Vegas?

How Much Money Do You Actually Need for 5 Days in Las Vegas?

Everybody wants a magic number for a Las Vegas vacation.

$1,000? $2,000? $5,000?

The problem is all three of those answers can be right.

You can absolutely spend five days in Vegas eating cheap pizza, drinking beer from ABC Stores, barely gambling, and walking everywhere. You can also blow $1,000 before lunch without doing anything particularly impressive.

For me, the comfortable number is pretty simple:

$400 per person, per day.

So if my wife Nikki and I are going to Las Vegas for five days, I want about $4,000 available for the trip.

And before somebody tells me that’s insane, let me explain where the money actually goes.

I’m excluding airfare from this completely. Flying to Las Vegas from Michigan is going to cost something completely different than flying in from California or Arizona, so including airfare in a universal Vegas budget doesn’t make much sense.

I’m also not including the actual price of a hotel room.

There’s a reason for that.

I Honestly Have No Idea What a Vegas Hotel Room Costs

I’ve paid for a hotel room in Las Vegas exactly once.

Seriously.

It was at Golden Nugget, and the only reason I paid for that one was because they were running a sale.

I had already been gambling at MGM in Detroit before I really started going to Vegas regularly, so MGM was offering me comped rooms. Then I started playing at other casino companies and those offers started showing up too.

I also have Caesars Windsor right across the border from me, so Caesars started giving me Vegas room offers pretty quickly.

That means when I’m planning a Vegas trip, I’m normally not looking at the actual room rate.

I’m looking at the resort fee.

Depending on the property, I usually expect somewhere around $45 to $60 per night in resort fees.

For five nights, that’s roughly $225 to $300.

If you’re paying full price for your room, you’re going to have to add that cost on top of everything I’m talking about here.

I’m not going to make up some average hotel number and pretend I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been spoiled by casino comps.

And yes, I realize the casino isn’t actually giving me anything for free.

They’ve seen me play blackjack.

They know they’re getting their money back eventually.

Gambling Bankroll: $2,500

This is where my Vegas budget probably starts looking completely ridiculous to normal people.

For five days, I’d want around $2,500 set aside for gambling.

That’s for two people.

It also comes with one pretty important disclaimer:

My wife and I are both degens.

And when I say both of us, I mean it. If you want to know what happens when two gamblers decide spending the rest of their lives together sounds like a good idea, I wrote about what happens when two degens get married.

If you don’t gamble much, you absolutely do not need $2,500.

But if both of you are going to play blackjack, bounce around the slot machines, gamble downtown, stop into random casinos, and generally make questionable financial decisions for five straight days, $2,500 isn’t nearly as crazy as it sounds.

That’s $500 per day between two people.

Or $250 each.

You can make $250 disappear in a Las Vegas casino shockingly fast.

Blackjack is where a good chunk of my Vegas bankroll usually ends up, and if you’re going to sit down with real money, at least learn the perfect blackjack strategy I use before you start donating to the casino.

The other thing people get wrong about a gambling bankroll is assuming you’re planning to lose the entire amount.

I’m not going to Vegas saying, “I’d really like to lose $2,500 this week.”

The bankroll gives me room for the swings.

Maybe I lose $400 one night.

Maybe the next morning I sit down at blackjack and win $300 of it back.

Maybe Nikki hits something on a slot.

Maybe I throw $100 on red because I’ve been doing that ever since I saw it on Entourage.

Vegas movies and TV probably deserve some blame for the way I gamble, too. I put together my five favorite Las Vegas movies, and apparently I’ve learned all the wrong lessons from them.

And maybe that goes exactly as well as you’d expect.

The point is that your bankroll keeps your gambling money separate from the money you actually need to survive the trip.

If the gambling bankroll gets destroyed, that sucks.

But I can still eat.

Food: $400 to $1,000

Food is probably one of the biggest variables in any Vegas budget.

You could spend $400 between two people over five days pretty easily if you’re eating cheap.

You could also spend $400 at one dinner if that’s the kind of Vegas trip you’re taking.

We’re usually somewhere in the middle.

I’m not going to Vegas specifically to eat at expensive restaurants every night. Half the time, I’m looking for whatever pizza place is still open and closest to wherever I happen to be.

Throw in Starbucks in the morning, quick lunches, random snacks, and a couple actual sit-down meals, though, and it starts adding up.

For two people over five days, I’d budget somewhere between $400 and $1,000 for food.

If you’re a serious foodie and already have reservations at expensive restaurants every night, ignore my number.

You already know you’re spending more.

Alcohol: $250

This is another category where Vegas will absolutely destroy your budget if you let it.

Buying cocktails directly from casino bars all day is one of the easiest ways to light money on fire.

I’m much more likely to stop at somewhere like ABC Stores, grab some drinks, and keep them in the room.

And obviously, if I’m gambling, I’m taking advantage of casino drink service.

“Free” drinks aren’t really free when you’re feeding money into a slot machine or sitting at a blackjack table, but I’m already gambling anyway.

For the two of us, I’d put $250 aside for alcohol over five days.

You could spend significantly more.

You could also spend significantly less.

Just don’t forget to budget for it and then act shocked when two drinks at a Strip bar cost as much as dinner back home.

Transportation: $250

Vegas has a funny way of making everything look close.

You look down the Strip and think:

That’s right there. We’ll just walk.

Forty-five minutes later, you’re sweating, your feet hurt, and somehow the casino you were walking toward doesn’t look any closer.

I’ve literally walked from downtown Las Vegas all the way to Treasure Island before because I didn’t want to pay for another Uber.

So maybe don’t use me as your transportation role model.

For five days, I’d budget around $250 for transportation.

That gives you room for Uber and Lyft rides when you need them instead of forcing yourself to walk three miles because you’re trying to save $17.

Walking is great.

The Monorail can be useful.

If you’re staying on the Strip, check the Las Vegas Monorail’s official site for current routes, stations, and ticket prices before deciding whether a pass makes sense for your trip.

There are free trams in certain areas.

But eventually you’re going to be standing outside a casino at 1 a.m. looking at your phone and ordering an Uber.

Budget for it.

Activities and Entertainment: $400

This is the category that’s incredibly easy to forget.

You’re probably not going to spend five straight days doing nothing except gambling.

At least I hope not.

Vegas has shows, museums, rides, attractions, concerts, pools, and about a million other ways to spend money.

If you’re trying to figure out what deserves part of that $400 activity budget, the official Visit Las Vegas website is a good place to see what’s happening during your trip.

I’d set aside around $400 for activities for two people.

You don’t necessarily have to spend all of it.

But having it available means you can actually do something when you see it without immediately doing vacation math in your head.

“Okay, if we do this, I guess we’re eating McDonald’s tomorrow.”

That’s not how I want to spend Vegas.

The Stuff Nobody Budgets For

This is where Vegas quietly beats the hell out of your budget.

Everybody remembers the hotel.

Everybody remembers gambling.

Everybody remembers dinner.

Nobody remembers all the random little stuff.

Starbucks.

Tips.

Bottled water.

Late-night pizza.

Uber surge pricing.

ATM fees because you somehow ran out of cash even though you specifically told yourself that wasn’t going to happen this time.

Convenience-store runs.

Something stupid from the gift shop.

Another coffee.

Another Uber.

Another $20 here.

Another $30 there.

Individually, none of it seems that bad.

Then you check your bank account on Day Four and wonder how you’ve spent an extra $500.

Vegas is incredibly good at extracting $20 from you repeatedly until it becomes real money.

So What’s the Actual Number?

Here’s roughly how I’d budget a five-day Las Vegas trip for two adults:

Resort fees: $225–$300
Gambling bankroll: $2,500
Food: $400–$1,000
Alcohol: $250
Transportation: $250
Activities: $400

That puts the total somewhere around $4,025 to $4,700 for two people, excluding airfare and the actual hotel room rate.

But I still like $4,000 as the easy number to remember.

That’s $400 per person, per day.

If I have $4,000 available for Nikki and me, our flights are already paid, and our room is comped, I’m comfortable.

Would I like $4,500?

Absolutely.

Would I somehow find a way to spend $5,000 if you gave it to me?

Probably.

That’s Vegas.

Can You Do Five Days in Vegas for Less Than $4,000?

Absolutely.

And honestly, a lot of people should.

If you barely gamble, immediately chop $1,500 or $2,000 off my budget.

If you don’t drink, there’s another $250.

If you like cheap eats and don’t care about shows or attractions, you can cut it even further.

A couple could have a great five-day Vegas trip with substantially less money than I bring.

My $4,000 isn’t the minimum amount required to enter Las Vegas.

It’s the amount where I personally feel comfortable.

There’s a huge difference.

I’d rather come home with money than spend the last two days of vacation telling myself I can’t do anything because I underestimated the trip.

Bringing Kids? Good Luck.

I’ve done Vegas with my two boys too, and that’s an entirely different vacation with an entirely different budget.

My incredibly scientific budgeting formula for taking kids to Vegas is:

Take whatever you thought you needed and double it.

You won’t necessarily need the same $2,500 gambling bankroll because you’re probably going to spend less time sitting at the tables.

Don’t worry.

Your kids will find the arcade.

Instead of standing at a blackjack table watching $20 disappear every few minutes, you’ll stand at an arcade machine watching $20 disappear every few minutes.

It’s basically the same experience except eventually somebody gets a plastic spider ring.

Then you’ve got four people eating instead of two.

More drinks.

More snacks.

More attractions.

More souvenirs.

And every other random thing your kids suddenly discover they desperately need.

The gambling money doesn’t necessarily disappear from the budget when you bring the kids.

It just gets redirected.

People talk about how expensive gambling in Vegas is.

Take two boys to an arcade on the Strip and then come talk to me.

My Rule: $400 Per Person Per Day

If somebody asked me how much spending money they should have available for five days in Las Vegas, this is still the easiest answer I could give:

$400 per person, per day is comfortable.

Not necessary.

Not a minimum.

Comfortable.

For two adults staying five days, that’s about $4,000.

Of course, that’s based on the way I do Vegas, which isn’t necessarily the way a normal, financially responsible human being does it. If you’re new here, meet Double Down Mac and you’ll understand pretty quickly why my Vegas budget includes $2,500 for gambling.

If you’re a hardcore gambler, bring more.

If you don’t gamble, bring less.

If you’re eating at steakhouses every night, bring more.

If you’re surviving on pizza and convenience-store snacks, bring less.

And if you’re bringing your kids?

Just accept right now that whatever number you came up with probably isn’t enough.

Vegas can be done cheaply.

Vegas can also be ridiculously expensive.

The trick isn’t figuring out the exact amount you’re going to spend.

It’s bringing enough that you can actually enjoy yourself without checking your bank account every three hours.

Because nothing kills the Vegas mood faster than realizing it’s only Wednesday and you’ve somehow already spent Friday’s money.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do you need for 5 days in Las Vegas?

For two adults, I recommend having around $4,000 available for five days in Las Vegas, excluding airfare and the actual hotel room rate. That works out to about $400 per person per day. You can absolutely do Vegas for less, but this gives you room for gambling, food, drinks, transportation, and entertainment without constantly worrying about money.

Is $1,000 enough for 5 days in Las Vegas?

It can be, especially if your hotel and flights are already paid for and you don’t plan on gambling much. You’ll need to stick mostly to inexpensive food, limit paid attractions, use walking and public transportation, and keep your gambling bankroll small. For the way I personally do Vegas, $1,000 wouldn’t be enough for two people.

How much gambling money should I bring to Las Vegas?

For a five-day trip with two people who both gamble, I like having around $2,500 set aside as a gambling bankroll. That doesn’t mean I’m planning to lose $2,500. The bankroll gives us enough money to handle the normal wins and losses that come with several days of playing blackjack and slots. If you’re only a casual gambler, you can bring significantly less.

How much spending money should I bring to Vegas per day?

My personal rule is about $400 per person per day. That’s not a minimum requirement. It’s the amount I consider comfortable for the way we travel, including gambling, food, drinks, transportation, and entertainment. Someone who doesn’t gamble or drink could get by on considerably less.

How much money should a couple bring to Las Vegas?

For a five-day Las Vegas trip, I’d want about $4,000 available for two adults after airfare and the hotel room itself are handled. Your actual budget depends heavily on how much you gamble, where you eat, how much you drink, and what you plan to do while you’re there.