Miami Beach is one of the world’s hot spots being home to beautiful beaches, sizzling nightlife, amazing art & culture, five-star restaurants, wonderful hotels & results and world class shopping. It’s an amazing place for a weekend visit which does not have to break the bank.
The cost of a three-day weekend in Miami Beach for 2020 will vary based on where you decide to stay and what you decide to do. But following are the estimated costs based on three different budgets with the difference being the hotel stay.
What is the cost of a three-day weekend in Miami Beach?
Budget Weekend in Miami Beach
- Flights: $437.21
- Transportation: $130.00
- Hotel: $354.00
- Food & Drinks: $290.00
- Entertainment: $250.00
TOTAL: $1,462.21
Moderate Weekend in Miami Beach
- Flights: $437.21
- Transportation: $130.00
- Hotel: $860.00
- Food & Drinks: $290.00
- Entertainment: $250.00
TOTAL: $1,967.21
Luxury Weekend in Miami Beach
- Flights: $437.21
- Transportation: $130.00
- Hotel: $1,638.00
- Food & Drinks: $290.00
- Entertainment: $250.00
TOTAL: $2,745.21
About Miami Beach
Before we start going through all the numbers about the cost of your trip, let talk about Miami Beach and some of the many things to do on your weekend visit.
There are a number of great areas along Miami Beach including Mid Beach and North Beach but the place to be is of course the world famous South Beach. South Beach is the heart of the action in Miami Beach and home to the historic Art Deco district. With all that there is to see and do in South Beach, a weekend visit may not give you enough time to enjoy the local shopping, dining and entertainment venues.
South Beach (also known as SoBe) is at the southern tip of Miami Beach extending from South Pointe Park along Government Cut north to Dade Boulevard. Both Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive run north-south in the heart of South Beach and are where a number of the restaurants, hotels and nightclubs are located.
Lummus Park is a 74-acre park that is east of Ocean Drive directly along the the actual beach and runs from 5th to 15th Streets. There are public restrooms, volleyball courts and paved paths for walking, biking and roller blading. The park is home to a number of events and Lummus Park Beach is one of the best areas to lay down your towel and enjoy the Florida sunshine.
The cost breakdown for your Miami Beach weekend vacation
As indicated above, there are a number different ways to travel from budget vacations to luxury trips staying at the finest hotels and visiting the fanciest restaurants. As a result we are providing cost estimates for a budget, moderate and luxury weekend vacation.
Airline Flight Costs to Miami Beach
Depending on your specific location and when you want to travel will have an impact on the cost of your flight to Miami Beach. Miami International Airport is a hub for American Airlines but also has a wide range of airline options.
To get a idea of the specific cost, we used the flight search tool from Expedia.com to determine our options. Since a large amount of travelers come from the New York metropolitan area, we chose to use Newark Liberty Airport as our departing airport and used the weekend of June 10, 2022 (Friday) to June 12, 2022 (Sunday) for our travel.
Flight prices ranged from a low of $249 to a high of $554 for a non-stop, economy class flight to Miami International Airport. The lowest option at $227 was for a departing flight with Spirit Airlines and a return trip with JetBlue Airlines but the time were not considered to be good.
American Airlines offered fairly good flight times for a total cost of $437.21
- Newark to Miami: 12:45 PM – 3:52 PM (June 10, 2022)
- Miami to Newark: 2:45 PM – 5:44 PM (June 12, 2022)
Airline flight cost for a weekend in Miami Beach: $437.21.00
Transportation Costs
Although Miami Beach is pedestrian friendly and a very walkable area, you will still need to get to and from the airport as well as well as some of the restaurants and entertainment venues. So transportation costs will also vary based on where you are going and what you will want to do.
Following is a estimate of transportation costs during your visit.
- Uber or taxi service from airport to Miami Beach (arrive): $35.00
- Uber or taxi service from Miami Beach to airport (depart): $35.00
- Other estimated to be at $20 per day: $60.00
Transportation costs for a weekend in Miami Beach: $130.00
Hotel Costs in Miami Beach
Hotel costs in Miami Beach have an extraordinarily wide range and within the past year, prices has increased rather substantial. You can stay at a local hostel for around $150 per night or a suite at The Setai Miami Beach for $1,000 per night.
Now while plenty of Airbnb’s are available in Miami Beach, they are only permitted in certain zones and since we don’t want to get caught up with an improper rental, it may make sense to stick to hotels.
Depending on your personal preference as well as your individual tastes, we have outlined the following options from an budget level hotel (three star) to a luxury hotel option (five star). Prices were obtained from Expedia.com for the the weekend of June 10, 2022 (Friday) to June 12, 2022 (Sunday)
Budget Hotel Option
The Broadmore Miami Beach: This 93-room boutique hotel is a three-star property and has a 2.8 out of 5 rating on Expedia. This five story hotel is a traditional art deco hotel that is located in the north beach area at the intersection of 75th Street and Ocean Terrace. Just across the street from the beach itself, amenities include an outdoor pool, laundry facilities and daily housekeeping.
A standard room with one king or two double beds is $139 per night totaling $354 after taxes and fees.
Moderate Hotel Option:
The Courtyard by Marriott South Beach: The Courtyard by Marriott is located in the heart of South Beach along Washington Avenue and 15th Street. Just two blocks to the beach, this hotel has a 3.9 out of 5 rating on Expedia. Amenities include a rooftop outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center, American restaurant and valet parking.
A standard room with one-king bed is $377 per night totaling $860 after taxes and fees.
Marriott offers a “Best Rate Guarantee” when booking directly at Marriott.com or any official Marriott reservation channel. In addition, Marriott Bonvoy members can earn and use points during their stay. Per the hotel web site, 78,000 points is required for a free two-night stay on June 10th to 12th.
Luxury Hotel Option:
TheRitz-Carlton, South Beach: With 375 guest rooms, the Ritz-Carlton South Beach is located directly on the beach and just outside of the Lincoln Road Mall and the Miami Beach boardwalk. The Ritz is a five-star hotel with amenities including a full-service spa, four restaurants / five bars, a 24-hour fitness center, outdoor pool and beach umbrellas.
A standard room with one king bed (no view) is $679 per night totaling $1,638 after fees and taxes.
Since the Ritz is a Marriott brand hotel, it offers a “Best Rate Guarantee” when booking directly at Marriott.com or any official Marriott reservation channel. In addition, Marriott Bonvoy members can earn and use points during their stay. Per the hotel web site, 108,500 points is required for a free two-night stay on June 10th to 12th.
Hotel costs for a weekend in Miami Beach range from: $354.00 to $1,638.00
Food & Drinks
Just like on an vacation (or at home for that matter), it could be pricey to eat and drink in Miami Beach. However there are plenty of cost effective options that provide great value.
Breakfast and Lunch
We are going to assume that you took the early arrival flight to Miami and will eat breakfast, lunch and dinner while traveling. And since the departing flight on Sunday is in the middle of the afternoon, we are going to assume that there will be costs just for breakfast and lunch.
While in Miami we would expect you to be on the go (or just relaxing on the beach), breakfast would be not be a sit down meal relatively inexpensive. Whether it is a grab-and-go at your hotel or the local Starbucks, we are allocating $10 per day (per person) for breakfast.
Lunch for all three days could be a variety of quick service restaurants in Miami Beach, beach side dining along Ocean Drive or a local cafe’ along Collins Avenue. It would be reasonable to expect at least one “nice” lunch (probably Saturday since there it is not a travel day) with a specialty cocktail. So would anticipate $30 for lunch on Saturday (with a cocktail) and $20 for lunch the other days for a total of $70.
Dinners at Miami Beach also have a wide range of prices. Similar to lunch, we will assume one “nice” dinner out will be enjoyed during your weekend. And we would recommend you try Joe’s Stone Crab at 11 Washington Avenue (if of course you can get reservations) for the “nice” dinner.
If you can get into Joe’s, you need to try the stone crab. There is a special “Joe’s Classic Meal” with six stone crab claws with an individual order of cole slaw, hashed brown potatoes, creamed spinach and a slice of key lime pie. The cost of the classic meal along with a couple glasses of wine will set you back about $125 with tax and tip. For your other evening, there are a number of other local options where you can dine for $65 at a nice restaurant, enjoying a cocktail with dinner.
As a result you would expect to spend $30 for breakfasts, $70 for lunch and $190 for dinner (per person). However, if you are a huge “foodie” and enjoy fine meals or a order a bottle of wine nightly with dinner, these number could easily double.
Moderate level food and drink costs for a weekend in Miami Beach are anticipated to be $290.00.
Entertainment Costs
South Beach Miami is the party capital of the world and home to a number of nightclubs and bars. However, there is so much more to Miami than the party scene. From fantastic museums, water sports, world-class spas and amazing events, there you can easily find a number of great things to do on your three-day weekend.
Here are a number of things to do in Miami Beach and in the surrounding area:
Take a visit to Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
This former estate home of businessman James Deering is located on Biscayne Bay in nearby Coconut Grove. Built in 1916, the estate features 32 furnished & decorated rooms, 10 acres of gardens and amazing views of Biscayne Bay. You can pick up a Groupon for a tour and transportation for around $75 per person
Shopping
Miami Beach has a number of fantastic shopping venues from local botique stores to the Lincoln Road Mall which is eight city blocks of shopping, restaurants and cafes’. Click here to learn more about the Lincoln Road Mall.
Just across Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace which is a open air shopping center wrapped about a huge marina. You will find more than 100 stores, kiosks and carts along with a live music, restaurants and bars. Click here to learn more about Bayside Marketplace.
A Spa Day
Miami Beach is home to a number of amazing spa facilities. From local day spas to full-service spas at some of the areas hotels and resorts, there are plenty of options to meet you desires and budget. Here are a few suggestions which are always subject to change:
- Spa at the Shore Club – $99 for a 50-minute Swedish massage
- Tao Spa – $79 for a 60-minute massage
- Spa 101 at the Hilton Bentley – $99 for a 60-minute massage or 50-minute facial
Ride a Speedboat
You can take a thrilling high speed ride on an off-shore speedboat. You will breeze by the city’s skyline as well as the Art Deco district. You can pick up a Groupon for around $40 per person.
Catch an NBA Basketball Game
The Miami Heat NBA basketball team are located at the American Airlines Area (AAA) just across the bay in downtown Miami. It’s always a “scene” at the AAA and part of the local Miami culture. So even if you are not a basketball fan, it is something to experience.
The Nightlife
With some of the best clubs and bars in all of North America, you need to spend at least one night painting the town red. Some of the famous clubs and lounges include STORY Nightclub, Mango’s Tropical Cafe, Wall Lounge, Basement Miami and LIV (at the Fountinebleau Shops).
There are number of services offering access to clubs and lounges as well as bottle service, VIP tables and transportation. For about $40, World Crawl Miami offers access to four to five clubs with no waiting in line, drink tickets and appetizers.
So depending what you like to what you choose to do, your costs can range from at least $100 to more than $500. For purposes our estimating a weekend budget, we are going to assume entertainment costs $100 per day with a half-day on Sunday.
Moderate entertainment costs for a weekend in Miami Beach are anticipated to be $250.00.
Total cost of a weekend in Miami Beach
As indicated above, the sole difference in each category of weekend vacation is based on the level of hotel. The three-day weekend cost estimates range from $1,461.21 to $2,745.21.
- Budget Weekend – $1,539.60
- Moderate Weekend – $1,967.21
- Luxury Weekend – $2,745.21
Now the above reference estimates are a guide for you to use when planning your next trip to Miami Beach. Could it cost more? Absolutely yes it can and especially if your food, drink (especially adult beverages) and entertainment is higher than our estimate.
But could you do it for less? Of course you can by traveling “off season” when hotels are less expensive and by booking your flight well in advance. You can also cut back on the food, drinks and entertainment but isn’t that the reason you are visiting Miami Beach?
