Video Las Vegas grocery store employees watch circus veteran balance cart on chin Street entertainer Jon Wiess, who spent 25 years with the Ringling Bros. circus, shows off a balancing trick inside a Las Vegas grocery store.
Las Vegas was once a playground for everyday travelers.
Now, many visitors are finding the price of admission harder to justify as the city leans harder into luxury hotels, celebrity-chef restaurants, stadium weekends and costly events, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
For budget-minded travelers, the new Vegas can feel like a city of upcharges.
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A $26 minibar bottle of water at Aria, for example, sparked social media outrage in 2025. It became shorthand for the frustration that visitors are being "nickel and dimed" at every turn, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the blog "View from the Wing."
In 2025, Las Vegas visitation fell to 38.5 million, down 7.5% from 2024, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). In 2024, visitors generated a record $55.1 billion in direct spending.
Many Las Vegas travelers feel they're being priced out of a vacation destination that was once considered very affordable, experts say. (Clive Mason)
"Las Vegas has been an evolving tourism epicenter since its hotel and casino inception in the early 1900s," luxury travel expert Whytney Rawls told Fox News Digital.
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"What was once a railroad stop in the middle of the desert has turned into one of the world's most talked-about destinations," said Rawls, who is based in Florida.
There is a new demographic. In 2024, 64% of visitors earned $100,000 or more, according to the LVCVA.
In 2025, 44% of Las Vegas visitors earned $150,000 or more, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data showed. (iStock)
By 2025, the market was even higher: Data showed 44% of visitors earned $150,000 or more, News 3 Las Vegas reported.
"Gaming was once the dominant revenue driver," said Rawls. "Today, a much larger share comes from premium room rates, luxury dining, nightlife, entertainment, retail, and large-scale events."
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The sticker shock is especially visible at the table.
Joël Robuchon inside MGM Grand lists a degustation menu starting at $525, as detailed in Stubborn Seed's Las Vegas Price Breakdown.
Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand, pictured here, gained three stars in the first Michelin guide to Las Vegas. (Barry Sweet/Bloomberg)
Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace features a 9-to-10-course Krug Chef's Table experience for $1,000 per person, according to Open Table.
At Papi Steak at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the $1,000 Beef Case features a 55-ounce Australian wagyu tomahawk, Business Insider reported.
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"Vegas has evolved and is [today] more a premium lifestyle and entertainment market," Rawls said.
The newer resorts reflect this change. Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened in December 2023 with 3,644 rooms, 36 bars and restaurants, Eater Vegas reported.
A restaurant at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hosted an ultra-premium event, pictured above. (Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Fontainebleau Las Vegas)
On the Strip, gaming accounted for 26.1% of total casino revenue in 2025, while hotel rooms made up 33.5%, data from the Nevada Gaming Control Board indicated.
So why focus on volume when another type of clientele will spend more? Rawls asked.
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"Luxury travel is booming, and Vegas is right at the forefront, currently experiencing what many describe as a multi-billion-dollar luxury renaissance," Rawls said.
Offerings like the artichoke and black truffle soup by the Restaurant Guy Savoy at the Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appetit Grand Tasting event are par for the course. ( Ethan Miller/ Getty Images for Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appetit)
Rawls noted a marked difference between muted designs compared with neon colors once associated with the Strip.
"With this shift, they are refining their target audience as rates continue to climb," she said of Vegas venues.
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The city is "catering to a more luxurious market rather than the budget-friendly party stop it was even 20 years ago," she added.
Sphere posted $420.5 million in 2024 concert gross, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The city is "catering to a more luxurious market," an expert said.
Official Las Vegas Grand Prix hospitality products list packages starting at $10,902, with other options starting at $25,997, inclusive of taxes and fees.
There are cheaper versions of Vegas. But it is a tiered city now, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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Everyone can get in — but the best rooms and tables are less attainable, the same source noted.
Andrea Margolis of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
Jessica Mekles is an editor on the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
