The ultimate place to see and be seen, Coachella has transformed over the years to become one of the biggest and most iconic festivals – not to mention, fashion hotspots – in the world.
A hangout for celebs, the likes of Paris Hilton, Vanessa Hudgens, and Kendall Jenner are seen there partying pretty much every year, alongside hordes of influencers, who are all hoping that fashion site round-ups will include them in their best dressed lists.
And, with 2024’s lineup looking extremely impressive, including Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, and No Doubt, who are reuniting specifically for Coachella, we don’t blame you if you want to get your hands on a coveted ticket!
What are the cheapest states to visit Coachella from?
That being said, Coachella is notorious for its high prices, so we wanted to see if you could visit on a budget. To do this, we looked at the cost of flights and airport parking across all 50 states, alongside the cost of a ticket for the 12th-14th April, how much you’d spend while you’re there on a budget, and overnight stays on the 11th and 15th.
So, read on to discover the US cities that offer the cheapest breaks to Coachella, and how much you should be prepared to spend if you want to visit on a budget.
Minneapolis offers the cheapest return flights
If you’re planning on flying, then the cheapest option is from Minneapolis’ Saint Paul International Airport, with return flights from 11th-16th April costing $208. Albuquerque International Sunport comes not far behind, at $284.
Phoenix, Lambert-St. Louis, and LAX make it into the top five – although if you’re coming from Los Angeles, it might be easier to drive, with the journey taking around two and a half hours by car.
Illinois’ Chicago O’Hare airport comes in sixth place, with a return flight to Coachella costing around $389; with Vegas’ McCarran International Airport, Nebraska’s Eppley Airfield, Oregon’s Portland, and Seattle-Tacoma Airport all making it into the top 10 cheapest for flights.
If you’re leaving the sunny city of Miami for a few days in the desert, then expect to pay $451 return for flights (13th overall), and if you’re arriving from JFK, it’ll cost around $531 (24th overall).
At the other end of the spectrum, flights from the east coast tend to be more expensive, with return flights from Portland, Maine setting you back by around $1,203, with Burlington, Vermont not far behind on $1,092. North Dakota, Alaska, and West Virigina make up the five most expensive flights, at $860 and above.
$2,104 is the cheapest you’d expect to pay for Coachella
Of course, it’s not just flights you’ll need to consider when booking a trip to Coachella: it’s your pass, alongside everything else you’ll want to pay for while you’re there.
This year, a 3-day pass to Coachella is set to cost between $619-$719, with camping expected to cost $149. Assuming you budget with food, you could limit it to $50, with six drinks a day costing $78 at the cheapest, and a hoodie costing $110. That totals $1,006 if you scrimp and save, but if you pay more for your food and drink, then you could be looking at a more realistic $1,596.
When it comes to hotels, we worked out that on average, a hotel near Coachella will cost you $143 on the night of the 11th of April, and $76 on the 15th. Add that up with flights and parking, and Minneapolis comes out on top as the cheapest place to visit Coachella from, at $2,104 in total, with six days of airport parking costing around $81.
Albuquerque, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Omaha, and St. Louis make up the top five cheapest destinations for a Coachella trip, with the latter two states tying, with a total of $2,259.
With flights the most variable cost on the list, it pretty much determines the cheapest destination overall; and with Portland, Maine the most expensive, you can expect to pay almost $1,000 extra than Minneapolis, at $3,090.
When it comes to parking, Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport parking is the cheapest, at $29.70 for six days, with Albuquerque and Dallas Fort Worth parking not far behind, at $30. On the other end of the spectrum, there are 12 airports that charge $120, including Indianapolis, Charleston, and Jackson Hole.
So, whether you want to go to Coachella for the music, the fashion, or the vibes, there are ways to do it on a budget, but it mostly comes down to which airport you’re flying from!
If you want to treat yourself to an airport hotel the night before you fly, or day you get back, then compare deals with us, to make sure you’re getting the best price, or continue reading our blog for more US festivals or travel inspiration on trip ideas and destinations!
Methodology
The cost data was sourced from various websites, such as Coachella websites, Reddit, Skyscanner, and Booking.com, as well as internal data from AirportParkingReservations.com.
Once the data was collected per state, the costs were summed up and ranked from cheapest to most expensive. Data for all 50 states was collected; however, no flights were available from Delaware, so it was left out in the ranking. All data is up to date as of 02/27/2024.
Photo by:
Andrew Ruiz – Unsplash
