The Los Angeles Dodgers will be paying Shohei Ohtani for the next 20 years. Dodgers fans will do their part starting right away. 

The Dodgers have supplanted the Boston Red Sox as the most expensive game night for fans, increasing the overall cost of games by nearly $100 for a family of four compared to just one season ago. 

Aside from providing MLB odds for sportsbetting, for the second year in a row, Bookies.com has calculated the cost of attending MLB games at each of the 30 stadiums. On average, families will spend $180.54 on four of the cheapest available tickets, a parking spot, two beers, two sodas, and four hot dogs. 

Take your betting experience to the next level with our betting apps.

Unlike the NBA and definitely unlike the NFL, the cost of going to an MLB game has actually decreased on average. Last year’s average MLB game cost for a family came to $190.03. All things equal, the value of going to an MLB game is far better than going to an NBA ($304.64) and way, way better than the NFL’s average of $646.88. A family could attend a three-game series for cheaper than a single NFL Sunday day game. 

The cost between the priciest market and the cheapest, however, is drastic. 

By a wide margin, the Dodgers ($322.25) and Red Sox ($321.25) outpaced the field in cost. Only the Chicago Cubs ($267) came within $90 per family of the two priciest locales. 

Dodgers games were the most expensive game ticket, by far. Boston came in at No. 2, but Sox games made up for it by being more expensive in every other way. Nowhere is it more expensive to park a car than near Fenway. Boston also ranked No. 1 in most-expensive beer, third in most-expensive soda, and fourth in most-expensive hot dogs. 

Meanwhile, a family of four could go a Chicago White Sox for just $118, over $200 under the premium duo. AL Central fans can find solace in family-friendly prices. The White Sox, Royals, and Guardians ranked as the three most affordable places to catch a game. 

Last year, the Marlins ranked as the cheapest night out at just $73.50. Their prices have doubled since 2023. Minnesota Twins games nearly doubled. The Atlanta Braves moved from 23rd to 8th.

Meanwhile, Guardians games went from No. 9 on the list all the way to No. 28. Blue Jays and Rockies games also dropped noticeably. 

Cheapest Available Ticket

Tickets, of course, make up the vast bulk of the cost of attending an MLB game. With 81 games to choose from and 40,000 or more seats in the house, getting tickets to most baseball games isn’t nearly as difficult as NBA and NFL games. 

Like other pro sports leagues before it, tier pricing has become a trend. Why charge the same price when the Shohei and the Dodgers and Miami Marlins come to town when you can double the price for Dodgers games? 

Bookies.com took the lowest available tickets (4) for home games for the 15th of each month, or the nearest available date, and averaged them out for one cost. Bookies only went through official sources and avoided the secondary market (MLB team sites and SeatGeek, the ticketing partner of many MLB teams, were the two sites most considered). Tickets used for the formula were for those available as of March 14, 2024.

We also eliminated rivalry games and games that involved the Yankees or Dodgers from the equation – MLB teams dramatically increased standard pricing for the most marquee matchups – as well as ultra-cheap seats that offer obstructed seating or limited availability. 

The Dodgers had, by far, the most expensive available tickets. Getting into the door costs nearly $60 per person or $239 per family of four. The Red Sox ($197 for four seats) and Cubs ($158) filled out the top three. 

By contrast, White Sox tickets could regularly be had at face value for less than $10. The Royals, Reds, A’s, and Guardians all had seats priced at less than $17 or less. Across the league, the average was close to $26. 

Lot Parking

Many MLB stadiums embrace the tailgating atmosphere and thus have massive lots that offer close parking at a modest price. Stadiums located more in the city often have ample lots at various price points. Those in neighborhoods offer no choice but to get gouged. 

Much of the appeal of Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago is the historic, close-knit feel of the stadiums in their communities. It should not be surprising, then, that those two locales were the most expensive areas to park a car, at $62 and $50 on average, respectively. The San Francisco Giants also came in at $50, with the Marlins ($42) not far behind. 

Bookies.com only considered parking options that were a 10-minute walk or less (roughly a half-mile). The Brewers, Rockies, Pirates, and Orioles offer the most affordable parking at less than $20. 

Beer/Soda

We took beer prices and converted them all to 16-ounce size. Yet the cost still varies wildly for a couple of pops. You’re paying nearly $11 for a 16-ouncer in Boston and Chicago (Cubs and White Sox), with the Giants just a few cents below them. 

The same drink costs around half as much in Colorado and Arizona and at Angels games. 

Soda is much less volatile in terms of price but still has a considerable range. Mets games charge an excessive amount for soda, nearly $3 more each than any other stadium. Three sodas of the same size in Kansas City cost the same amount. 

Hot Dogs

The Arizona Diamondbacks were known for their $2 hot dogs. Now they’re $3, but that’s still tied for the lowest prices. The Yankees and Marlins also offer up the sausage for a cheap price. 

Other places gouge the wiener. At Padres games, they’re $8. For Giants games, they’re $7.50.