Inflation concerns have sparked online “dating inflation” discussions as social media users react to the shocking statistic that millennials spend an average of $252 on a date.
The numbers, reported by CNBC in April, are based on BMO Financial Group’s 2026 BMO Real Financial Progress Index. According to BMO research, the average “all-in” spend on a date in the U.S. (which includes pre-date grooming, gas, and the date itself) is $189, an increase of 12.5% from last year. This was much higher than the 2.7% rise in inflation over the same period, which the report called “date inflation.”
Millennials report the highest average daily spend and the largest year-over-year increase, according to BMO’s generational data.
Gen Z: $205 (up from $194) Millennials: $252 (up from $191) Gen X: $173 (up from $172) Baby Boomers: $126 (down from $127)
The bank conducted a survey of 2,501 adults between late December and January.
Since then, inflation has worsened. The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8% in April 2026 from the previous year, according to the latest measurements from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Experts say rising costs are having a knock-on effect on dating habits.
“We’re seeing the cost of living go up, people going on dates less often, and the views and perceptions of dating going down,” clinical psychologist Sabrina Romanoff told CNBC. “We’re seeing fewer people eating out and less tolerance for high-risk gatherings.”
According to a BMO survey, half of Americans who date or are open to dating say they’ve gone on fewer dates or chosen cheaper activities because of inflation and the rising cost of living. More than 4 in 10 people, 44%, said they had changed or adjusted their dating plans for financial reasons.
The number of dates I go on is also decreasing. The average American who went on a date reported going out about 12 times in the past year, down from about 14 times in 2025, according to a BMO survey.
Who will pay for dates when they become so expensive?
Janina Steinmetz | Digital Vision | Getty Images
Rising prices also complicate one of dating’s oldest questions: “Who pays?”
BMO found that there are significant gender differences in expectations early in a relationship. Nearly three in four men (71%) said they expected to pay for the entire date initially. Among women, 52% said they expected the cost to be split relatively evenly, while 38% said they expected their partner to cover the entire cost.
Jess Calvino, a sociologist who has worked at Tinder and Bumble, told CNBC that economic uncertainty could push people toward more traditional expectations.
“When faced with times of uncertainty, especially times of economic uncertainty, people tend to rely on more established and traditional gender roles to try to alleviate and cope with the uncertainty that exists at a particular time and moment,” Calvino said.
Romanoff said social media can make these expectations more extreme by giving men and women different narratives about dating and money.
“Social media has created gendered echo chambers where men and women are told very different stories about dating and money,” Romanoff said. “Unfortunately, algorithms reward outrageous behavior today. The most polarizing and extreme views of economic dating have risen to the top and are now being reinforced.”
On the other hand, some women encounter advice to only accept expensive first dates as proof of worth or interest, Romanoff said. However, some men are being told not to spend money on dates at all.
“Echo chambers demonize the opposite sex and frame dating as an economic power struggle, rather than a relationship process where we both meet in the middle and get to know each other,” Romanoff said.
“We’re actually seeing love shrink to fit people’s budgets,” she added.
