Why Dating Is So Expensive In The U.S.

[0:00] Half of all Americans say that they've been going on fewer dates due to the state of the economy. [0:06] Nearly half of all single Americans think dating is not financially worth it. [0:11] The average date in the U.S. costs $189 as of February 2026, which is up 12.5% from 2025. [0:20] On top of that, 50% of Gen Z and 40% of millennials say the cost of dating gets in the way of reaching their financial goals. [0:28] Why would I spend $100 on someone I might not even buy with? [0:34] So we're seeing that there is this increased cost of living and it's lowering our dating frequency and how we're seeing or perceiving dating. [0:41] We're seeing people have fewer dinners out and there is a lower tolerance for higher risk meetups. [0:46] Many dating apps are struggling to maintain monthly active users. [0:50] Wall Street has noticed. [0:51] The top two dating app stocks, Match Group and Bumble, have been on the decline since the end of the pandemic. [0:57] So I think it's not just dating but in general life becoming more expensive can be an important part of dating and people's ability to find romantic matches. [1:05] I think that fundamentally we are looking at broad structural changes that influence people's marriageability or datability perceptions both of themselves and of other individuals. [1:15] And that makes them disinclined to enter into the dating market. [1:18] For young men in particular, their economic prospects and dating prospects are very much linked and have never frankly been more grim. [1:29] So what happens when finding loves takes more financial risk? [1:39] Almost everything has gotten more expensive in the past six years and dating is no exception. [1:44] The typical Gen Z American went on about nine dates in 2025 and with Gen Z spending about $205 per date on average. [1:53] That number includes everything such as transportation, clothing, grooming and what you're actually spending on the date. [1:58] That works out to roughly $1,845 per year. [2:02] Gen Z now ranges from teenagers to people in their late 20s. [2:06] So there isn't one clean government income figure for the whole generation. [2:10] But among full time workers as of late 2024, median annual earnings were just under $40,000 for ages 16 to 24 and around $59,000 for ages 25 to 34. [2:23] That means dating accounts for around three to nearly 5% of their annual income. [2:28] When the cost of living rises, people date much more defensively. [2:32] They're taking fewer chances and fewer connections are formed. [2:36] It's also going to take away from your mental budget, right? [2:38] You're not going to be able to pay as much attention. [2:41] You're probably not going to feel as much in mood to feel happy to channel yourself in the best light. [2:48] And that's going to take away from your interest in trying to go into these romantic partnerships as well. [2:53] There's such a higher chance that something doesn't click. [2:57] And then there goes, you know, your $40 dinner bill down the drain on, you know, someone that you might never talk to again. [3:05] On a first date in New York City, I would probably spend around $45 to $50. [3:13] It's enough not to break the bank. [3:15] I budget around $150 to $200 a month for dating. [3:20] I try to hedge my bets when it comes to, like, you know, first dates. [3:25] And I go to something that is not necessarily an expensive date, just drinks or coffee. [3:32] Something where, you know, if I spend an extra $10 on this person that I may not like, it's not the end of the world. [3:37] That financial pressure is a difficult hurdle to clear. [3:40] Money is an early, unavoidable part of dating. [3:43] I think you have to budget a little bit for it. [3:46] The fear of financial entanglement and financial commitment when it comes to dating could make [3:51] people much slower to commit or even much quicker to retreat if there's a sign that something might be off. [3:55] People may look at dating as being something that could theoretically be an investment. [3:59] Financially, if you're putting in this money, you're hoping to get an investment in the same way you would if [4:04] you were paying for a Netflix subscription and hoping to get a good deal of entertainment. [4:08] But dating is very dissimilar from taking a movie on a streaming service. [4:14] Paying for the dates themselves is not the only cost. [4:21] 35% of dating app users say they have paid for one of the platforms. [4:25] Many of these apps work on what's called a freemium premium strategy, even though you can sign up for free [4:31] in order to be able to take advantage of some of the more desirable features, you might have to pay a subscription price. [4:37] From the end of World War II until 2013, the most popular way for straight couples to meet in the U.S. [4:44] was through friends. [4:45] But now the vast majority are meeting online. [4:48] One of the things that online dating platforms they've managed to bring to our life is a greater [4:54] range of people. [4:55] They tend to generally increase our pool size. [4:58] And sometimes that can be a bit deceiving in the sense that it seems like you have a lot of different [5:02] options, but it's not necessarily the case because in general there tends to be an imbalance in terms [5:08] of mutual interest between the two sides of the platform. [5:11] I think it pushes a lot of quantity. [5:13] There's been many, many, many, many times where like I'll go on first date with a girl and I'll just [5:20] be like, I don't feel like we vibe. [5:24] And that's, and that's okay. [5:26] Even though you might be seeing and potentially starting conversations with many, many different [5:31] people, you're most likely not going to go into anything beyond those initial conversations with [5:36] those people on the apps. [5:38] I think I paid for like Hinge for like a month. [5:41] I think honestly, I think it's the gamification. [5:43] Psychologically, it, it does work that you're like, oh, you're going to only get seen by X amount [5:50] of people in a day. [5:52] But if you pay us a tiny bit more, you get to see more people. [5:55] So I think at a certain point you're like, okay, if I did, let's do this for a month [5:58] and just see, see where it goes. [6:04] All three of the top apps provide different tiers for paid plans. [6:07] Each tier unlocks various features such as advanced filtering and being able to see who has liked your [6:13] profile without having to swipe. [6:15] One major complaint about dating apps is that pricing can be opaque. [6:19] In a 2024 class action lawsuit, Match Group was accused of deceptive practices tied to [6:24] subscriptions, in-app purchases, hidden algorithms, and what the complaint describes as [6:28] artificial bottlenecks that push users toward paid features. [6:32] Match has denied wrongdoing in the case. [6:35] When asked to participate in this report, a Match Group spokesperson told CNBC, [6:39] the vast majority of users on our freemium apps, including Tinder and Hinge, use the platform for free. [6:44] And we design those experiences to be engaging, valuable, and complete on their own. [6:49] Subscriptions are optional and provide additional tools for those who want more control or a more [6:54] efficient experience. [6:55] But they are not required to have success or make meaningful connections. [6:59] We're focused on helping users make meaningful connections that ultimately lead to meeting in real life. [7:04] If there are different price levels, that will be an example of what we refer to as price discrimination. [7:09] Price discrimination is the concept of trying to set a few different price levels for different [7:14] versions of the product that you are getting that might be in your best interest. [7:19] Dynamic pricing would be changing prices over time, whereas price discrimination is across different people. [7:26] We create different versions of the product and we sell them these different versions of the product with [7:31] different features or in other contexts. [7:34] It could be different quantities packaged together. [7:36] In other words, not every pricing difference is the same thing. [7:40] Some of it may just be different tiers or packages. [7:43] But consumer advocates and plaintiffs have argued some dating apps also use more opaque pricing practices [7:48] that are hard for users to understand. [7:51] That same lawsuit also points to swipe limits and premium features that promise [7:56] greater visibility or better odds. [7:58] And Match's own subscription screens show how many core features are locked behind paid plans. [8:04] If you are a longer term consumer, then of course, I retain higher rents from you. [8:09] I maintain a higher profit over time. [8:11] It's a system of pay to play. [8:12] And if you have the money, then you will be able maybe to get the partner or you will be able to have [8:17] more success on dating apps. [8:18] When asked to participate in this report, Bumble told CNBC, [8:22] Similar to others in the industry, we use a freemium model. [8:25] Our focus is for the free experience to provide a safe and high quality experience for our members. [8:32] And there are countless couples who have found each other this way. [8:35] Our paid features cater to those in our community who are looking for a more tailored experience. [8:40] Ultimately, our business thrives on real recommendations of people who found Love IRL on Bumble. [8:46] That's why we're focused on building features that help members build authentic online connections [8:51] that can grow into real life relationships. [8:56] Even as dating apps ask users to spend more, Wall Street has been questioning whether the [9:00] business is really working. [9:02] JPMorgan labeled Bumble one of its top short ideas for 2026, arguing that user engagement was still under [9:09] pressure and that revenue could fall by double digits. [9:13] Then in March, it upgraded the stock to neutral, saying the app was starting to stabilize and that [9:18] a relaunch, AI features, and other product changes could help. [9:21] One way the dating apps are pivoting is getting into in-person dating events. [9:27] Bumble launched Bumble IRL in 2022. [9:30] Hinge announced One More Hour in 2023. [9:32] And Grindr partnered with the London music festival Mighty Hoopla. [9:36] Tinder also announced in March 2026 a new in-app feature called Events, [9:41] which the app says will help singles meet offline. [9:44] One of the big business problems is breaking ice and helping people to get off the app in a [9:48] successful way. [9:49] This is almost always a challenge. [9:52] It's difficult to monetize conversations. [9:54] If people are getting off the app, right, let's say that we meet, we exchange phone numbers, [9:59] we're no longer communicating on the app. [10:01] If I can somehow monetize their offline meetings, make their offline meetings, at least the first couple [10:07] ones, part of an event where I can either charge them something or I can maybe make money from [10:12] sales of drinks or something else, then it also helps me to extend the period of time where I can [10:18] make money from users. [10:19] So it's part of a good monetization strategy as well. [10:21] These in-person events aren't organic and they do cost money, but there seems to be a demand to get [10:28] out into the real world, especially for Gen Z and millennials. [10:31] There are growing signs that they want to meet people more organically, such as through mutual [10:36] friends, at an activity or class or at an event or a bar. [10:40] Beyond dating apps, third spaces and membership clubs are also becoming a booming business. [10:45] So it may be a trend that the people who can pay to meet others in more intentional spaces are the [10:51] ones who get the best chances at finding a connection. [10:54] I kind of just really go with the flow. [10:57] If I meet someone in person, awesome. [10:58] If I meet someone online, awesome. [11:00] That's not really going to make a huge difference.