The 2026 World Cup’s most expensive cities revealed: Where do England’s host locations rank?

With 2026 World Cup approaching its dramatic conclusion, anticipation is building as fans take in the spectacle of the biggest edition of the tournament ever staged.

Forty eight different nations battled it out across Canada, Mexico and the United States during the newly expanded competition, but Spain and Argentina are the only teams left standing.

England were beaten at the semi-final stage by Lionel Messi's Argentina, and while Three Lions fans will be debating whether shelling out their hard-earned cash was worth it this summer, a third-placed playoff against France remains for Thomas Tuchel's side.

Travelling supporters are facing major expenses across flights, accommodation, food, drink and everything in between, with hotel prices in several host cities continuing to climb as matchdays rack up.

For fans following their team across the continent, one question matters above all: how much will it cost in each host city? To help supporters budget realistically, Football Ground Guide has ranked the 2026 World Cup’s most expensive host cities, focusing on hotel prices and overall cost of living.

Most expensive 2026 World Cup host cities ranked by hotel prices

1. New York City

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, New York City comes out on top as the most expensive World Cup host city for hotel prices. The average cost of a room per night stands at £350.77, meaning fans will have to loosen their purse strings to visit the Met Life Stadium, known as the New York / New Jersey Stadium for tournament purposes.

2. Vancouver

Canada had two host cities for the World Cup, including Vancouver in British Columbia. There were seven matches at BC Place, Vancouver, notably Switzerland vs Colombia in the round of 16 on July 7.

Fans travelling to Vancouver for the World Cup were met by the second most expensive city at the tournament based on average hotel prices (£292.80).

3. Boston

Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is located in the Boston metropolitan area, hosted both Scotland and England during World Cup 2026.

Fans needed to pay an average of £241.52 to secure a hotel for a night in Boston during the tournament.

4. Toronto

BMO Field, known as Toronto Stadium for this summer's event, hosted six games at the 2026 World Cup, including Canada's opening 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Out of all the World Cup host cities, Toronto is a relatively affordable place to visit based on the cost of living, but hotel prices set supporters back at an average of £226.66 per night.

5. Miami

Miami is just shy of Toronto's tally, with the average cost of a hotel stay coming in at £222.92 per night. It should also be noted that Miami ranks as the sixth most expensive World Cup host city based on the cost of living.

Most expensive 2026 World Cup host cities ranked by cost of living

1. New York City

Back in at number one, the Big Apple has the highest cost of living per month of any of the 16 host cities at the tournament.

The price of staying in New York was likely alarming for England fans who visited the New York / New Jersey Stadium for the Three Lions' group stage clash against Panama, and it will be a concern for Spain and Argentina fans ahead of the World Cup final.

2. San Francisco

There were six matches held at Levi's Stadium – known as the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium – during the course of the tournament.

Those looking to head to San Francisco will need to be wary of the fact that it has the second-highest cost of living rate of the 16 World Cup locations.

3. Seattle

Seattle's Lumen Field had the honour of hosting the USA's group-stage clash with Australia this summer, which saw Mauricio Pochettino's side run out 2-0 winners on June 19.

The stadium hosted six games in total, including two knockout matches, and those planning to visit Seattle should be aware that its cost of living rates are around £1,165.46.

4. Boston

While Boston is just over 7% cheaper than Seattle, it still weighs in as one of the tournament's most expensive cities to visit, given the fact that it has the fourth-highest cost of living rate.

5. Philadelphia

Philadelphia rounds off the top five with the cost of living at £1,039.77 per month, just short of Boston's £1085.26.

The city hosted six games during the tournament, including group matches involving five-time world champions Brazil and 2018 winners France.

What are the most affordable 2026 World Cup cities?

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Monterrey is the most affordable city based on hotel costs. A hotel room in the Mexican city costs a reasonable £111.47 on average.

Guadalajara is the second cheapest host city for hotel rooms, with an average of £124.11, while Houston ranks in third spot at an average of £129.31 per night.

In regard to the cost of living, Guadalajara ranks the best with a rate of £489.15 per month. The top five are completed by Mexico City, Monterrey, Vancouver and Toronto, demonstrating that the USA is the most expensive country to visit out of the three host nations.

How expensive were England's 2026 World Cup host cities?

England headed to Atlanta for their semi-final clash against Argentina, which likely set fans back a considerable amount. Although Atlanta ranks outside the top five most expensive cities, costs were expected to skyrocket at the business end of the World Cup.

England missed out on the final after losing 2-1 to Lionel Messi's Albiceleste, but they are set to contest the third-place playoff against France at Miami Stadium on Saturday, July 18 – Miami ranks fifth amongst World Cup host cities in terms of hotel prices, and sixth going by cost of living.

What will it cost England fans to attend the 2026 World Cup?

According to estimates from Bookies.com, attending a single England match could cost around £2,654 per person, based on return flights from London, four nights' accommodation, a match ticket and basic food and drink at the stadium. 

Costs vary by location, with New York/New Jersey the most expensive at around £2,716, while Atlanta comes in slightly cheaper at £2,143.