Rampant inflation is crushing entertainment spending for families of all sizes and income levels. The NBA has done its part to make it affordable – compared to the NFL. 

With one-name stars like LeBron, Steph, Giannis, Luka, and Joker, the individual star power of the NBA is unrivaled in American sports. It’s why NBA betting has become one of the fastest-growing aspects of sports betting. 

Going to see the stars remains costly due to Tier Pricing, which puts a major surcharge when teams such as the Lakers, Warriors, and Celtics come to town. 

Bookies.com has calculated the cost of attending NBA games at each arena for the 2024-25 season. On average, families will spend $320.31 on four of the cheapest available tickets, a parking spot, two beers, two sodas, and four hot dogs at an NBA arena this winter. The cost indicates a modest increase of $11.67, or 3.6%, from 2023. 

Over the last two years, the price has increased 8.7%. The NFL, in comparison, is a hefty $808.20 for a family of four, a dramatic increase of 33.6% from 2022. MLB games, by the way, average out at $180.53. 

The L.A. Lakers Are the "Most Expensive"

The top four teams remained the top four but in a new order. After coming in at fourth place last year, the Los Angeles Lakers have taken the title of “most expensive.” It costs a family of four an average of $728.36 to see LeBron with the cheapest available seats in the house. 

The New York Knicks, last year’s No. 1, slipped to No. 2, at $721.51. There is a $100 gap between 2nd and 3rd (Golden State Warriors, $621.18), and another big gap between 3rd and 4th (Boston Celtics, $563.59). 

The Los Angeles Clippers jumped from 12th to 5th as the team debuts their new technological marvel of an arena, the Intuit Dome. The Orlando Magic also jumped seven spots, from 18th to 11th.

The Memphis Grizzlies, on the flip side, offer the most affordable night on the market. Its cost of $158.51 is a whopping $100 cheaper than last year, dropping the Grizz from 15th down to 30th. The Milwaukee Bucks dipped 13 spots from 8th to 21st.

Cheapest Available NBA Ticket

Tickets make up most of the cost of attending an NBA game. Getting tickets to some games is very easy, for others it’s far more difficult. 

We took the cheapest available tickets (4) for home games in December and January, only going through official sources and avoiding the secondary market (Ticketmaster standard tickets were the most common team partner). Those tickets were then averaged out for one cost. The tickets used for the formula were for those available as of Oct. 15, 2024. 

The Knicks edged the Lakers for the priciest tickets in the land. A foursome would spend $594.40 at Madison Square Garden. 

For nearly half of the NBA – 13 teams – fans can buy four tickets for less than the price of one in New York. Grizzlies tickets can be had for under $20 a pop and $25 in Portland, New Orleans, and Houston, too. 

Finding the cheapest available ticket varies wildly depending on the opponent. Teams that charge $20 for an upper-level view when the Hornets come to town will charge well over $100 for the same cushion when it’s Lakers Night. 

Every team jacked Lakers games to unique heights. To make this comparison a little more even, we eliminated all Lakers road games from the equation, as well as Christmas Day games. If your family of four is on a budget, forget seeing LeBron James.

Lot Parking

Unlike most NFL and MLB stadiums, many NBA arenas don’t have official parking lots or ramps. But most are located in downtown of a major city, offering several available parking locations. Or, in some cases, almost none at all. 

Parking skyrocketed overall, as ramps simply charged more. The average cost sits at $38.96, a dramatic 35.8% increase from one year ago. 

Parking in San Francisco is a well-known nightmare, and that doesn’t change at night when the Warriors are at home. Golden State ranked No. 1 in cost to park at $75, while the Lakers, Celtics, Heat, and Cavaliers all price out at $60. 

Meanwhile, it’s under $20 to park the same vehicle in Minnesota, Charlotte, and Houston. 

Beer & Soda

We took beer prices and converted them all to a 16-ounce size. After doing so, one can really see a dramatic difference in cost, depending on your venue. 

Beers are roughly $20 a pop at Boston Celtics games, by far the most expensive suds in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets average out to $17. 

Meanwhile, the same beverage runs you about $6 in Cleveland, the lowest mark in the league. Oklahoma City also costs under $7 each. 

Soda has its own volatility in prices, but less so than the Over-21 options. Golden State once again ranks No. 1 in cost at $10 for a 20-ouncer, along with Chicago. It’s $5 or under in Cleveland, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Dallas and Detroit.

Hot Dogs

Los Angeles must have a hot dog shortage. Four dogs in the City of Angels will set you back $46. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s even pricier in San Antonio, at nearly $12 each. The Utah Jazz offers a dog for 75% less, while the Bucks, Grizzlies, Pacers, Mavericks, and Cavaliers all have them on the menu for $6 or less.