As the average cost of a single date in the United States approaches $200 (about 300,000 won), the way young people date is changing rapidly. Instead of expensive restaurants, "value-for-money dates" that reduce the financial burden—such as walking together in a park or grabbing a cup of coffee—are becoming a new trend.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, a survey by financial firm BMO Financial Group found that the average cost of a date in the United States, including clothing purchases, transportation and meals, was $189 (about 280,000 won). This is a 12.5% increase from a year earlier.
Nearly half of Gen Z respondents said that "dating costs are a burden on saving or building assets," and 40% of millennials gave the same response. Analysts say that although recent inflation has slowed somewhat, dining-out costs remain high, adding to the burden of dating expenses.
This atmosphere is also affecting the choice of date locations. When Hinge, a dating app whose users are about half Gen Z, recommended date courses, relatively low-cost activities such as drinking coffee, walking in a park, playing board games or going stargazing showed high preference.
Winston Jules, a 26-year-old living in Brooklyn, New York, told the WSJ, "In the past, I looked for restaurants with a nice atmosphere, but these days I often spend time eating ice cream in the park," adding, "For financial stability, I am also reducing the number of times I meet people."
Beyond Dating to Friend Gatherings: Prices Change the Landscape of Meeting
Not only romance but also gatherings with friends are unable to escape the cost burden. A new term, "Friendflation," has even emerged. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dining-out prices have risen a cumulative 20% to 30% or more since the pandemic, and combined with rising alcohol prices, the cost of gatherings has jumped significantly.
Axios reported that in some major cities, the per-person cost of a gathering including dinner and drinks commonly exceeds $100 (about 150,000 won), and cases reaching $150 (about 225,000 won) are not uncommon. Analysts say that as maintaining the same gatherings requires much more money than before, a growing number of people are cutting back on meetups themselves.
The economic burden appeared especially greater for men, who mainly bear the costs in the early stages of a relationship. In the BMO survey, 75% of male respondents said they expect to cover the full cost of dates in the early stages of a relationship. This means that high prices combined with existing dating culture are increasing the economic burden.
The situation in Korea is not much different. According to a survey of 1,485 men and women in their 20s and 30s conducted this May by Enlighten, the operator of the social dating app WIPPY, about 70% of respondents said the burden of dating costs had increased over the past one to two years.
Both men and women cited 30,000 to 50,000 won as the ideal cost for a single date, but actual spending was most often 50,000 to 100,000 won, making the felt burden significant. In particular, the response that "I have given up on a relationship because of dating costs" was higher among women at 38.6% than among men (29.5%), showing that high prices are having a considerable impact on dating culture.
