Is Las Vegas really more expensive than it was 20 years ago?
by: Jenelle Vannoy Posted: Aug 15, 2026 / 05:46 PM PDT Updated: Aug 15, 2026 / 05:46 PM PDT
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Las Vegas welcomed 38.5 million visitors in 2025, a 7.5% drop from the year before and the city’s lowest annual total since 2021.
But is a Las Vegas vacation really that much pricier than it was 20 years ago?
In 2006, visitors who booked outside a vacation package paid an average of $107.12 per night, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s 2006 Visitor Profile. In 2025, the average nightly rate was $183.52. Download the free 8 News+ app for live newscasts and streaming originals
That looks like a major jump until inflation enters the chat.
Based on Consumer Price Index data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $107 in 2006 would have the buying power of roughly $175 today. That puts the inflation-adjusted price within about $10 of the latest Las Vegas average.
However, the room rate is only one part of the cost of a modern Vegas vacation.
Resort fees were still relatively uncommon in 2006. Today, they can add $30 to more than $50 per night before taxes at many major hotels. Visitors who bring a vehicle may also pay for parking, which was once routinely free at Strip casinos.
At Caesars Entertainment properties, for example, registered hotel guests currently pay $20 per day for parking. Non-hotel guests without qualifying rewards status pay $25, according to the company’s parking policy.
Las Vegas buffets offer another look at how the vacation experience has changed.
A travel blog documenting a 2007 visit listed dinner at The Buffet at Bellagio at $27.95, or roughly $43 today after adjusting for inflation. Bellagio no longer offers a traditional dinner buffet. Its current brunch costs $44.99 on weekdays and $49.99 on select weekends.
The prices are not a direct comparison because they cover different meal periods. However, they show that the inflation-adjusted cost of the older dinner buffet is close to what visitors now pay for brunch.
The larger change may be the number of buffets still available.
The MGM Grand Buffet permanently closed in May 2026, joining several Strip buffets that have disappeared in recent years. Once an affordable centerpiece of a Las Vegas vacation, the buffet has become a less common—and often more premium—experience. Is Las Vegas tourism stuck? LVCVA visitor report shows no improvement on a slow year
Visitors in 2006 could also watch the lions inside the MGM Grand, see The Mirage volcano erupt and catch the Masquerade Show in the Sky at the Rio without purchasing a ticket. All three attractions are now gone.
The Bellagio Fountains, Fremont Street Experience and Fall of Atlantis at Caesars Palace remain among the city’s best-known free attractions, but much of Las Vegas’ newer entertainment comes with an admission price.
Affordability is not the only factor affecting tourism. The LVCVA cited economic uncertainty, changing travel patterns and weaker international visitation among the challenges faced in 2025. Hotel occupancy fell 3.3 percentage points, while the average daily room rate dropped 5%.
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