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Key West is a popular getaway for Americans to blow off steam in a tropical setting without leaving the United States. If Key West is calling you, whether in the US or abroad, you may be wondering how much you’ll spend frolicking around this island city. Today, I am taking the guesswork out of it by sharing the cost of a 5-day Key West trip I took with my husband, Aaron.
Although Key West is known for having a laidback and care-free atmosphere, this vacationland will not necessarily be gentle on your wallet. Tourist premiums aside, parking and housing on this 7.2 square-mile-island are already limited, which drives up costs. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to manage your expenses and avoid paying more than is necessary.
Truthfully, it’s easy to overspend in Key West. In fact, it was our first trip here in 2016 that prompted us to start creating detailed budgets before trips.
To help you have a realistic expectation of what a Key West trip would cost, below I am breaking down everything Aaron and I spent on our 5-day trip. I will also note which splurges were totally worth it, as well as recommend opportunities to save money. After all, the more you can save in one area is more you have to spend in another!
Here is my actual Key West Trip Cost (in USD):
The above shows our actual expenses paid for five days in Key West while traveling as a couple. Although I would not overall call our trip luxurious by any means, we did make an unusually high splurge on an epic day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park.
Without that, our Key West trip would have cost more like $3,750. I take back nothing though!
Travel Savvy Tip
Don’t look at this budget as a lump sum! That’s the quickest way to get intimidated and assume Key West is unattainable. The truth is, you won’t pay the full amount at once. For example, we bought our flights and Dry Tortugas tickets up front, but basically didn’t pay anything else until the month of our trip.
As the date gets closer, you’ll start looking at tours you may want to do, as well as make restaurant reservations. When you get back home from your trip, you’ll pay off any remaining vacay expenses you’ve incurred.
Breaking it into chunks like this is a much more approachable way to afford the cost of a trip to Key West!
Key West Trip Cost Breakdown
Flight
$35.28
Let’s start with the fact that Aaron and I spent next to nothing on our round trip flights between Cleveland and Miami, FL. Our flights were technically free, as we were able to cover the entire cost using credit card points after finding $200 tickets. We paid an extra $35.28 to move our seats after the airline sat us away from one another.
You may be wondering why we flew into Miami and not Key West. Basically, you can either fly direct to Key West or fly to Miami first and then drive the Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys. Often times, the latter can be less expensive and it’s also incredibly scenic and bucket list worthy.
While it is simpler to fly direct into Key West, it can also be more pricey and potentially require a layover depending on your origin city. However, the benefit is that you likely wouldn’t need a car for the rest of your stay.
Solo travelers should budget around $250 for airfare ($500 for couple) if not using points; everyone should read the below tips to avoid overpaying for flights:
- Be flexible with your travel days, as weekend flights can be more expensive. Play around with searching different departure and arrival days, and you’ll be amazed what a difference that can make.
- Travel during low or shoulder season (May through November), when there is an overall drop in prices.
- Last but not least, the tip that has helped me the most: Sign up for a credit card with travel rewards points. We’ve gotten countless free flights thanks to our cards, simply due to points earned on every day purchases. We’ve had great experiences using both the Capital One Venture and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Transportation
$549.17
Unless you are driving the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West, I do not recommend renting a car. Key West is really small and parking is scarce and expensive, so it’s best to avoid having a vehicle with you if you don’t need one. It’ll be more of a pain and inconvenience than anything else.
The good news is that Key West is small and many places are walkable. Consider renting a bike or scooter as an alternative way to get around the island.
There are several bike rental companies in Key West, and you can usually find options for less than $20/day. Here are a couple popular companies:
- A&M Rentals (we used them on our first trip to Key West)
- Pirate Scooter Rentals
Here’s a breakdown of our transportation costs of $549.17 above:
- Rental car from Miami airport: $479.42
- Gas: $33.20
- Parking: $36.55
Solo travelers would spend about the same as the above, assuming they were driving to Key West from Miami.
Lodging
$1,795.44
Lodging is the category that I find most difficult to do on a budget in Key West. If you are traveling in the high season months spanning December through March, be prepared to spend $300+ a night for even the simplest rooms. Upon scanning prices on both hotels and Airbnb’s, I found no overall price difference between the two.
To save money, plan you Key West trip in late April through May for an overall price drop before the sweltering summer temperatures set in.
Since Key West is so small, it is not necessary to stay right on or even near Duval Street, which is situated in Old Town within the Key West Historic District. Although, if this is your first visit to Key West, you might not mind paying extra to stay in the center of everything.
Otherwise, the farther you get from Duval, the more reasonable prices get. Hotels located close to Stock Island, like Coconut Mallory Resort and Marina or DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Key Resort, tend to be more reasonable. Simply rent bikes to get to Key West’s main drag.
If you’d like to stay in our overpriced, yet well-located Airbnb pictured above, here is the link. Were were able to walk to everything and it’s even been recently renovated!
Solo travelers can expect to spend about the same amount for similar lodging in late spring. However, travelers sharing a hotel room or Airbnb with friends may spend even less.
Groceries
$69.00
Eating and drinking out in Key West adds up fast. Therefore, if you rent an Airbnb and have access to a kitchen, it’s a good idea to eat in for a few of your meals.
Aaron and I opted to have a couple breakfasts and lunches at our Airbnb near Duval Street. We generally kept things pretty simple, opting for cereal and lunchmeat for sandwiches. The $69 we spent also includes some practicalities, like sunscreen (in Key West only reef-safe sunscreen is allowed).
Solo travelers should budget around $30 for groceries and incidental items like water and sunscreen.
Food & Drink
$973.91
Even with eating in a few times, we couldn’t help but to explore the Key West food scene as much as possible. It’s to resist being a part of the city’s celebratory atmosphere, with lively bars and restaurants galore. Plus, this tiny island happens to have great access to seafood like conch and shrimp, so you have to take advantage when possible.
As far as our expenses, I’m not gonna beat around the bush; we didn’t show much restraint in this category. Here are two standouts that contributed to our total of $973.91:
- $144 sipping painkillers at The Rum Bar just about every day.
- $220 for an upscale dinner at Latitudes
Here are the more budget-friendly meals we enjoyed the most:
- $68 for dinner and drinks at Hogfish Grill
- $31 for lunch at the Garbo’s Grill food truck
- $25.69 for a fresh, healthy lunch at Date & Thyme
- $11 for donuts from Glazed Donuts
- $44 for breakfast at Moondog Cafe
Solo travelers should budget around $300 for food and drinks. I personally do not drink much (if at all) when traveling alone, which really keeps costs down.
Activities
$1,407.00
It might come as no surprise that activities can really drive up your Key West trip cost. At the same time, they can also make your experience that much more memorable.
There are so many fun things to do in Key West, both free and paid. I’ve listed some free things to take advantage of below. However, certain paid experiences, like visiting the Hemingway House, spending time at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, and taking are walking tour, are completely worth it.
My best advice would be to take do a good mix of free and paid activities (like watching the sunset and sunrise – the views from Key West are spectacular). This will help you save room in your budget for a pub crawl or sunset sail.
As mentioned previously our activities expense is super high due to booking a full day excursion to Dry Tortugas National Park on the seaplane. If seeing magnificent shades of blue water and shipwrecks from the air is an experience you seek, the hefty price of $634 per person is completely worth it.
The remainding $139 we spent is from visiting the Key West Lighthouse, as well as admissions and miscellaneous expenses at various Florida State Parks.
Top 6 Free Things to Do in Key West:
- Take a selfie at the “Southernmost Point”
- Stroll down Duval Street to witness the party atmosphere
- Attend the Mallory Square Sunset Celebration
- Stroll down Smathers Beach
- Watch the sunrise from Higgs Beach
- Check out US 1 Mile Marker 0
Solo travelers should budget anywhere from $100 to $700 for activities.
Key West Trip Cost: Miscellaneous Expenses
- Shopping: $0 Since we super-splurged on the seaplane to Dry Tortugas, we restricted ourselves from buying souvenirs while in Key West.
- Pet Boarding: $200 For a long weekend trip, you may be able to find a friend or family member to watch any pets you have for free. Since that was not possible for us, Aaron and I paid to board our dog in a “luxury suite” at his vet office.
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Now that you have an idea of what a Key West trip would cost, hopefully you feel better prepared to budget for your own trip to the Conch Republic. It’s possible you’ll get a little sticker shock at first, but don’t worry. It’ll subside and then you can focus on soaking up the sun as you blow off some steam in this quirky American party city.
