The excitement for the 2026 World Cup is starting to build, with the tournament set to start in less than four months.
Forty-eight teams will descend on Canada, Mexico and the United States for the newly-expanded edition of football's biggest competition.
Unfortunately, the 2026 World Cup has already delivered controversy, especially around the issue of astronomical ticket prices. The expense of attending the tournament does not start and stop with the purchase of match tickets, with supporters also set to spend money on other key aspects of their trip, including flights, accommodation, food and drink.
Fans travelling to support their team will want to know how much to budget for each of their nation's host cities. With that in mind, we have ranked the 2026 World Cup's most expensive host cities, focusing on hotel prices and 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 the purse strings to attend games at the Met Life Stadium, known as the New York / New Jersey Stadium for tournament purposes.
2. Vancouver
Canada has two host cities for the World Cup, including Vancouver in British Columbia. There will be seven matches at BC Place Vancouver, notably a last-16 game on July 7.
Fans travelling to Vancouver for the tournament should be aware that it is the second most expensive city at the tournament based on average hotel prices (£292.80).
3. Boston
There will be matches taking place in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is located in the Boston metropolitan area.
Fans will need to pay an average of £241.52 to secure a hotel for a night in Boston during the upcoming tournament.
4. Toronto
BMO Field, known as Toronto Stadium for the tournament, will host six games at the 2026 World Cup, including Canada's opening match against the winner of Path A from the UEFA qualifying playoffs.
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 will 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 number one, the Big Apple has the highest cost of living per month of any of the other 15 host cities at the tournament.
The price of staying in New York will concern England fans who plan to attend the New York / New Jersey Stadium for the final group game against Panama on June 27.
2. San Francisco
There will be 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 will have the honour of hosting one of the USA's group games this summer. Lumen Field will be the venue for the meeting between Australia and Mauricio Pochettino's side on June 19.
The stadium will host 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 will still be one of the tournament's most expensive cities to visit this summer, 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 will host 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 will be the most expensive country to visit out of the three host nations.
How expensive are England's 2026 World Cup host cities?
As previously mentioned, England will head to the New York area for their group clash against Panama, which is likely to set fans back a considerable amount unless they choose to stay elsewhere.
Their first match will take place against Croatia in Arlington, Texas, with Dallas regarded as the host city for that contest. Dallas ranks outside the top 10 in the list of most expensive hotel costs, while it is the ninth most expensive city in regard to cost of living rates.
Thomas Tuchel's side will head to Foxborough for their second group game against Ghana. With Boston the host city for that contest, it will be another pricey location to visit for England fans to visit.