Since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the travel industry, prices have rebounded—often at a pace that has outstripped general inflation. While travel demand surged back in the years following the pandemic, so too did the cost of family vacations across the United States. From airfare and hotel stays to meals and rental cars, nearly every component of travel has grown more expensive, placing new financial pressure on American families planning time away.
Despite these challenges, families still have several options to make their vacations more affordable. Traveling during the shoulder season or booking flights and accommodations on off-peak days can significantly lower costs. Many are also rethinking their destinations—trading expensive coastal hubs and theme parks destinations for less-crowded cities or hidden gems that offer more value.
To help families understand where and how vacation costs have changed, researchers at Luxury Link—an online booking platform specializing in luxury travel—analyzed what it costs to take a four-night domestic trip for a family of four in cities all across the country. The analysis examined four major expenses—airfare, lodging, meals, and rental cars—comparing 2019 prices to the most recent available data for 2025. The findings highlight which types of travel expenses have seen the steepest increases and which U.S. cities have experienced the sharpest rise in overall vacation costs.
Here are the key findings from the report:
- Dining costs have surged since the pandemic. Among the four major categories of vacation spending, daily meal expenses saw the steepest increase, rising 28.2% between 2019 and 2025—more than double the growth rate for lodging, airfare, or rental cars.
- Overall vacation prices are up 14.5% nationwide. Across the 100 cities analyzed, the average cost of a four-night trip for a family of four grew by 14.5% since 2019, reaching $4,668 in 2025.
- The Mountain West experienced the sharpest cost increases. Cities like Albuquerque, NM (+27.7%), Las Vegas, NV (+24.8%), and Salt Lake City, UT (+23.8%) saw vacation expenses rise far faster than the national average, largely driven by spikes in lodging and dining costs.
- Some Southern cities are also feeling the squeeze. Nashville, TN (+22.6%) and Savannah, GA (+21.3%) are among the top 10 cities with the largest post-pandemic vacation cost increases.
Which Travel Expenses Have Risen the Most?
The cost of dining out surged 28.2%, growing significantly faster than lodging, airfare, and rental car costs
Source: Luxury Link analysis of U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. General Services Administration, and Business Travel News data
Among the four major categories of vacation spending, the cost of dining out has seen the sharpest increase since the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2025, average daily meal expenses rose by 28.2%—more than double the rate of inflation for lodging (+12.9%), airfare (+9.1%), or rental cars (+8.7%). For a typical family of four eating three meals a day, this jump translates to hundreds of additional dollars over the course of a single trip.
These meal cost increases reflect broader trends in the food service industry, where labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and higher ingredient costs have pushed restaurant prices upward nationwide. And because dining out typically makes up a large share of discretionary spending on vacation, the impact on family budgets can be especially pronounced.
Where Have U.S. Family Vacation Costs Risen the Most Since the Pandemic?
Vacation inflation spiked in the Mountain West, surpassing price growth in more expensive coastal hubs
Source: Luxury Link analysis of U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. General Services Administration, and Business Travel News data
While vacation prices have increased nationwide since 2019, the sharpest spikes have not occurred in the country’s most expensive cities. Instead, the steepest growth in costs has taken place across the Mountain West, where demand has surged in midsize cities that once offered affordable alternatives to pricier coastal destinations. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, the total cost of a four-night trip for a family of four has risen by 27.7%—the largest increase among the 100 cities analyzed. Other destinations in the area, including Spokane, Washington (+24.8%), Las Vegas, Nevada (+24.8%), Salt Lake City, Utah (+23.8%), and Phoenix, Arizona (+23.8%), also rank near the top.
These cities, many of which became increasingly popular for domestic travel after the pandemic, have experienced outsized jumps in lodging and meal costs. For example, lodging prices in Albuquerque grew by more than 50%, while meals rose over 45%. In Salt Lake City, rental car prices jumped more than 26%. Though overall vacation costs in these destinations still trail high-cost cities like New York or Boston, the rate of increase has outpaced the national average by a significant margin.
Outside the Mountain West, notable increases were also observed in parts of the South. Nashville, Tennessee (+22.6%), Savannah, Georgia (+21.3%), and Atlanta, Georgia (+20.7%) each saw family vacation costs climb more than 20% since 2019. In total, 20 cities experienced increases of 19% or more—well above the 14.5% national average. These patterns suggest that vacation inflation has been most intense in smaller or mid-tier cities that have grown in popularity but may lack the infrastructure to absorb higher visitor volumes without significant price pressures.
For a complete breakdown of where family vacation costs have risen the most for a select 100 cities with complete data across all metrics, see Travel Inflation: Where Family Vacation Costs Have Risen the Most on Luxury Link.
Methodology
Photo Credit: Perfectlab / Shutterstock
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ Domestic Airline Consumer Airfare Report, the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Per Diem Rates, and Business Travel News’ Corporate Travel Index Calculator. To determine the cities where family vacation costs have risen the most, researchers at Luxury Link calculated the change in airfare, lodging, meals, and rental car costs for a family of four for each city, comparing 2019 to 2025. The total family vacation cost was considered to be four average-priced round-trip flights, two average-priced hotel rooms for four nights, three average-priced meals per day for four people, and the cost of one average-priced rental car for four days. Airfare averages were calculated using the four-quarter period ending in Q2 2025, the latest comprehensive data available, and the full-year period in 2019.
Round-trip airfare was calculated by doubling the average aggregated one-way domestic data for directionless city pairs associated with each location. These figures incorporate both nonstop and connecting itineraries. To ensure comprehensive coverage, the calculation averages fares across all airports serving a given market. Some smaller markets are primarily served by small or regional airports with limited commercial options and may reflect lower average airfares or larger percentage changes from 2019 to 2025.
Average hotel room costs were derived from GSA per diem rates for full-year 2019 and 2025, which are designed to represent mid-range hotels within each market. Similarly, average meal costs utilize these GSA rates to encompass the total expense for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and incidentals (tips). Rental car costs were determined by averaging daily rental rates for full-year 2019 and 2025 data, inclusive of taxes, across full-size, intermediate, and compact vehicle classes.
The researchers also calculated the total cost of a four-night stay for a family of four, the change in round-trip flight cost, the change in lodging cost, the change in meal cost, and the change in rental car cost. For relevance, only a select 100 cities with complete data across all metrics were used in the analysis.
For complete results, see Travel Inflation: Where Family Vacation Costs Have Risen the Most on Luxury Link.
