As Americans weather inflation, tariffs, and a rising cost of living, it feels as if there’s little room in their budgets for discretionary spending. And that means modern dating is taking a hit.
In fact, dating has gotten so expensive that a growing share of Gen Z and millennials are deciding that the cheapest (and calmest) option is to have no partner at all. They call this practice “solo maxxing,” which reframes single life less as a sad holding pattern between relationships and more of a deliberate lifestyle. (Maxxing comes from social media and internet slang for maximizing an action). They argue it’s cheaper, more predictable, and emotionally lower-risk.
The average “all-in” cost of a date in the U.S., including dinner, drinks, transportation, and pre-date grooming, has climbed to $189, up 12.5% from $168 a year earlier, according to Bank of Montreal’s 2026 Real Financial Progress Index report published in February.
But Gen Z reports spending $205 a date, up from $194 in 2025, while millennials now drop $252 per outing, a 32% jump. Half of Gen Z respondents and 40% of millennials said the cost of dating is getting in the way of their financial goals. That’s, in part, due to restaurant prices rising: Average menu prices rose 31% between February 2020 and April 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s due to inflation straining restaurant operations, according to the National Restaurant Association.
