U.S. Airports with the Most Expensive Beer Prices [2024]

Anyone who’s visited an airport bar knows that drinks at the airport are expensive. But despite the cost, a pre-flight drink might be worth it if you’re nervous or bored waiting for your flight.

Knowing that many passengers enjoy an adult beverage before they fly, our team at FinanceBuzz collected price data for regular-sized “domestic macrobrew” beers (e.g., Budweiser, Coors, or Miller) at the 50 busiest U.S. airports to discover which airports serve up beer at the most inflated prices.

Key findings

• The average price for a beer across America’s 50 busiest airports is $8.97, a 21% increase from 2023 ($7.42).

• LaGuardia (New York City) has the most expensive average beer prices of any U.S. airport, with a regular domestic beer costing $13.83.

• SLC (Salt Lake City, UT) has the least expensive average beer price of any major U.S. airport ($6.40).
• The three airports servicing New York City (LGA, JFK, EWR) are among the 10 most expensive airports for beer.

Airports where beer is the most expensive

Beer prices can differ greatly from airport to airport, making it tricky for thirsty travelers to properly budget ahead of time. For savvy passengers researching ahead of their trip, however, FinanceBuzz has identified the airports where a beer costs the most on average.

The average cost for a beer across America’s 50 busiest airports is $8.97. However, travelers should plan to shell out at least $10.00 if they want a brew at any of the 10 most expensive airports in the country. That means that a beer costs a full dollar more than the national average at every single one of these airports.

At the top of the list is New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where the average cost for a beer is a whopping $13.83, which is 54% higher than the national average.

LaGuardia is also one of three different airports servicing the New York City area that are in the top 10 most expensive airports for beer. John F. Kennedy International has the fourth-highest average beer price of any airport at $11.82, while Newark Liberty International Airport’s average beer cost of $10.41 is the ninth highest.

While New York is the only city that is serviced by multiple airports ranking among the 10 most expensive in the country when it comes to beer prices, there are a pair of airports on the list from the same state.

Two Texas airports are among the 10 most expensive for buying beer before flying. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has the third-highest average beer cost ($11.99), while Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in the state capital ranks 10th of any airport for beer ($10.00).

Airports where beer is the least expensive

Beer doesn’t have to cost a pretty penny just because it’s purchased at an airport, as evidenced by the prices at the following transportation hubs where costs are the lowest in the country.

At each of the 10 airports where beer is the least expensive, passengers can expect to pay $7.81 or less for a cold one — more than a full dollar less than the national average of $8.97.

The airport where beer is the least expensive is Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah. Passengers at SLC can get a beer for just $6.41 — less than half of what a brew costs at the most expensive airport in the country ($13.83 at LaGuardia ). The average beer cost at the Salt Lake City airport is 29% lower than the national average.

Also notable on this list are two cities with reputations as party destinations. New Orleans, Louisiana, aka the Big Easy, comes in with the fourth most affordable airport beer price ($7.31), while the bachelorette party mecca, Nashville, Tennessee, is eighth ($7.51).

This is great news for partiers looking for a little hair of the dog before heading home (or those looking to get the party started as soon as they land).

Does passenger volume affect beer cost?

Beer does tend to be more expensive at the busiest airports in the country. 8 of the 10 airports where beer is most expensive also rank in the top 15 in terms of passenger volume.

Additionally, only two of the 25 busiest airports have an average beer cost among the 10 least expensive, meaning the lowest average beer costs were typically found in airports that see fewer passengers.

Full airport beer cost and passenger volume rankings

Tips for saving next time you fly

While travel and drinks are expensive, no one wants to feel like they have to scrimp on enjoyable experiences. There are still ways to enjoy eating and drinking during your trip without breaking the bank.

• Budget before takeoff. Budgeting is an important step when planning travel to reduce the amount of unexpected expenses and chances of overspending.
• Keep a credit card with travel rewards in your wallet. Have one of the best travel credit cards handy to rack up points and rewards from all your purchases.
• Apply for your preferred airline’s credit card. If you find yourself flying the same airline often, look into some of the best airline credit cards to see the rewards your preferred airline is offering.
• Use points to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Popular credit card companies, such as American Express and Chase, offer rewards points which can be redeemed when purchasing flights. Researching what Amex points vs. Chase points can get you may reduce the need to use cash or savings.

Methodology

Prices from drink menus from the 50 busiest airports in the United States were manually collected and averaged together. Prices shown are for "macrobrews," which FinanceBuzz defaulted to Budweiser and Bud Light. In some instances, the prices for Coors or Miller were used where Budweiser products were not offered. Prices reflect the cost for a regular-sized draft, with bottle or can costs used when drafts were not available. Prices were collected from a minimum of five restaurants or bars per airport. Passenger volume rankings come from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. 

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