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

With the 2026 World Cup now less than a month away, excitement is rapidly building as fans prepare for the biggest edition of the tournament ever staged

Forty‑eight teams will soon descend on Canada, Mexico and the United States for the newly expanded competition, but the build‑up hasn’t been without controversy.

Sky‑high ticket prices have already sparked frustration, and the costs don’t end there. Travelling supporters face major expenses across flights, accommodation, food, drink and everything in between.

For fans planning their trips, one question matters above all: How much will it cost to follow their team in each host city?

To help supporters budget realistically, we’ve ranked the 2026 World Cup’s most expensive host cities, focusing on hotel prices and overall cost of living.

FootballGroundGuide provides the full breakdown below.

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 at Gillette Stadium 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.

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

With England set to play their group games across high-cost cities like Arlington, Boston and the New York area, fans should expect a significant overall spend.

According to estimates from Bookies.com, attending a single England group-stage 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, followed by Dallas at £2,701, while Boston comes in slightly cheaper at £2,546. 

Fans planning to follow all three group games should expect costs to rise significantly, with separate estimates suggesting a full group-stage trip could exceed £10,000.