Canada’s host cities for the World Cup among most expensive to visit: reports

Heather Wright breaks down the list of the most expensive cities to watch the World Cup from and how it’s impacting fans who already live in host cities.

TORONTO – With a little more than three weeks until the World Cup kicks off in North America, a new study is showing just how expensive it is to attend the matches, especially if travel is involved.

This year’s tournament, the first to be held across three countries, promises to be the most expensive ever, with average ticket prices in some host cities, including Toronto, sitting well above $1,000 a seat.

“Fans are being priced out of being able to go to the game they love,” said Dave Parry, an England fan who lives in Toronto.

According to a report from Jackpot City Casinos, New York City tops the list with the highest average ticket price at $1,689. Guadalajara follows at $1,523, with Dallas at $1,441 and Mexico City at $1,318. Toronto rounds out the top five at just under $1,300 per seat.

At an average of roughly $500 per seat, Vancouver ticket prices are considerably more affordable, but the city tops the list when it comes to most expensive accommodations with fans paying an average of $922 per night for a three-star hotel room. That is nearly double the rate in the next most expensive cities: Seattle at $578 and New York City at $484.

In Toronto, the average hotel cost is just under $300 a night.

It’s not clear if high rates for hotel rooms are impacting bookings, but Destination Vancouver says hotel bookings in the city for June are down 20 per cent compared to last year. An April report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association found 80 per cent of hotels in the 11 U.S. host cities were also running below their booking forecasts.

“We know people are going to come and there’s going to be a lot of excitement in our communities,” said Ravi Kahlon, B.C. minister of jobs and economic growth, when asked about the drop in hotel bookings. “We heard … the numbers for cruise ships (are) going to go down and then never did. We’ve heard a lot of different things. It’s all speculation. We know it’s going to be a busy time.”

With 23 days until the tournament kicks off in Canada, tickets are still available in both Toronto and Vancouver, including for Canada’s opening match on June 12. But those seats are listed upward of $1,000 each, a price that puts attendance out of reach for many would-be attendees.

Angela O’Hara, a Toronto resident, won’t be attending any matches, but she’s not complaining about the World Cup coming to town.

“I think it’s great for the city, especially the hotels and restaurants that have been struggling … since (the COVID-19 pandemic),” she said. “And I think just being downtown with all the excitement, you can’t beat it.”