A pre-flight beer is a popular way to pass the time at the airport, but any flyer knows that even one drink at airport bar prices can put a serious dent in your vacation budget. However, at some airports, you might be pleasantly surprised at how affordable a drink is. The amount you can expect to shell out for a pint varies widely depending on where you’re flying out of, as one new study shows.
Finance site Finance Buzz collected prices from drink menus from the 50 busiest airports in the United States, and compared drink prices for “macrobrews” (Budweiser and Bud Light, or Coors or Miller depending on what was available.) Prices used were for the cost of a regular-sized draft, or a bottle or can if drafts were not available. The study analyzed prices from a minimum of three restaurants or bars per airport to find the average beer cost in each airport.
US Airports With the Most Expensive Beers
| Airport | Average Beer Cost |
|---|---|
| LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York, New York | $12.33 |
| Detroit Metro Airport (DTW), Detroit, Michigan | $9.36 |
| Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Newark, New Jersey | $9.31 |
| Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada | $8.86 |
| John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, New York | $8.80 |
| Honolulu International Airport (JFK), Honolulu, Hawaii | $8.69 |
| Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Seattle, Washington | $8.63 |
| San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, California | $8.49 |
| Dallas Love Field (DAL), Dallas, Texas | $8.32 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas | $8.30 |
The price of a beer varies widely depending on where you’re drinking it. At LaGuardia, the most expensive airport for beer, a pint will cost you an average of $12.33—which is more than double the amount of a beer at the least pricey airport, Portland. At Portland International Airport, you could buy more than two beers for the price of one at LaGuardia.
US Airports With the Least Expensive Beers
| Airport | Average Beer Cost |
|---|---|
| Portland International Airport (PDX), Portland, Oregon | $4.33 |
| Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah | $5.00 |
| Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Cincinnati, Ohio | $5.32 |
| Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Charlotte, North Carolina | $5.50 |
| San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio, Texas | $5.83 |
| Nashville International Airport (BNA), Nashville, Tennessee | $5.83 |
| Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY), New Orleans, Louisiana | $6.08 |
| Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Cleveland, Ohio | $6.17 |
| Tampa International Airport (TPA), Tampa, Florida | $6.33 |
| Bradley International Airport (BDL), Hartford, Connecticut | $6.33 |
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