US summer stays are up in 24 out of 30 popular domestic destinations for 2026. Compare costs across the country with new cozycozy data.
Compare US Summer Prices 2025 vs. 2026: 80% of Top Destinations See Cost Spikes - New cozycozy data
Travel Inspiration
Written by
Andreea Giotina
cozycozy analysed accommodation prices across 30 destinations to find out what American travelers are actually paying this summer and where the value still is.
24 / 30 more expensive US destinations more expensive in 2026 | +7% average nightly rate, year over year | $381 nightly gap: Miramar Beach vs Las Vegas |
Something has shifted this summer. Not just the prices, but also the logic of which destinations are affordable and which are not. cozycozy tracked accommodation costs across 30 popular U.S. destinations and found that 24 of them cost more than last year. The rise is broad: the Gulf Coast, the Northeast and major city breaks have all moved upward together.
There are exceptions. Pensacola Beach is actually cheaper this summer than last, so is Orange Beach. Las Vegas has dropped 4.7% and Seattle 4.2% of the cost. Here is what our data shows, destination by destination.
Key findings
Biggest jump nationwide.
Boston is up 42.7%, the sharpest increase in the country, with rates climbing from $267 to $381 a night. No other destination saw a bigger jump this summer.
Second-biggest jump.
Galveston, Texas has risen 35.2%, the second-fastest increase nationwide, with the average nightly rate climbing from $283 to $383. The Gulf Coast is having a moment, for better or worse.
Most expensive destination.
Miramar Beach was already the most expensive. This summer it has risen again, to $567 a night. A week there now costs roughly three times as much as a week in Las Vegas.
Steepest decline.
Pensacola Beach has dropped 16.5%, to $466 a night. If you have been putting off that trip because of the price, this is the year to reconsider. Orange Beach is down 9.8% too, and Las Vegas, Seattle, Myrtle Beach and Wildwood round out the destinations getting cheaper this summer.
Widest price gap.
The gap between the most and least expensive destination in the ranking is $381 per night. Las Vegas at $186 against Miramar Beach at $567. Same summer, very different bill.
Prices are up in 24 of the 30 destinations tracked. The table below shows where the biggest changes happened.
| Destination | Last Summer | This Summer | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | $267 | $381 | +42.7% |
| Galveston, TX | $283 | $383 | +35.2% |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $399 | $513 | +28.5% |
| New York, NY | $280 | $339 | +21.2% |
| North Myrtle Beach, SC | $322 | $386 | +19.9% |
| Nashville, TN | $332 | $387 | +16.4% |
| San Francisco, CA | $238 | $275 | +15.3% |
| Orlando, FL | $203 | $228 | +12.5% |
| Pensacola Beach, FL | $558 | $466 | −16.5% |
| Orange Beach, AL | $499 | $450 | −9.8% |
| Las Vegas, NV | $195 | $186 | −4.7% |
| Seattle, WA | $334 | $320 | −4.2% |
Boston and Galveston: the biggest jumps in the country
Boston posts the sharpest increase in the country. This summer the average nightly rate has risen 42.7%, from $267 to $381. That is not a rounding error. A week in Boston now costs roughly the same as a week in Destin, one of the priciest beach destinations in the Panhandle, despite the two cities having little else in common.
Galveston is the second-biggest mover, up 35.2% from $283 to $383 a night. Virginia Beach follows close behind at +28.5%, and New York rounds out the top tier at +21.2%. Travelers who have been meaning to visit before prices climb further should probably go this year.
The priciest summer stays: the Florida Panhandle dominates
Miramar Beach leads at $567 a night, but the story is not just about one stretch of sand. From Virginia Beach to Hilton Head Island, from Gulf Shores to Ocean City, virtually every beach hotspot ranks among the most expensive in the country. Destin and Gulf Shores round out the priciest tier. Beach demand is clearly driving nightly rates this summer, and the gap between this group and the rest of the ranking has rarely been wider.
Going against the trend: where summer 2026 is cheaper
Not every destination is climbing. Six of the 30 U.S. spots are cheaper than last summer, led by Pensacola Beach and Orange Beach, down 16.5% to $466 a night and 9.8% to $450 a night respectively. The value story extends to Las Vegas, down 4.7% to $186 the most affordable destination in the ranking, Seattle (down 4.2%), Myrtle Beach (down 3.9%) and Wildwood, New Jersey (down 3.5%).
For Americans planning a trip overseas, prices are rising in most popular destinations too. Among the top international picks for US travelers, Athens stands out with an 11.2% increase, reaching $117 a night. Paris is up 4.2% to $230 and Rome up 2.5% to $200, while London (−2.1% to $187) and Tokyo (−0.6% to $117) are among the few to buck the trend. Istanbul ($104 a night) and Athens ($134) remain the most affordable abroad, and only Lisbon (down 2.1%) and Costa Brava (down 1.6%) bucked the trend.
The data does not say stay home. It means comparing more carefully: prices for the same destination can vary widely depending on the dates, the platform and the type of stay. Comparing across destinations, dates and platforms before you commit is where the biggest savings are hiding this summer.
Compare US summer prices: 30 US destinations plus top international getaways, summer 2026
Average nightly accommodation rate · summer 2026 vs summer 2025 · Source: cozycozy.com · Accommodation only.
Destination | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
Boston, MA | $267 | $381 | +42.7% |
Galveston, TX | $283 | $383 | +35.2% |
Virginia Beach, VA | $400 | $513 | +28.5% |
New York, NY | $280 | $339 | +21.2% |
North Myrtle Beach, SC | $322 | $386 | +19.9% |
Nashville, TN | $332 | $387 | +16.4% |
San Francisco, CA | $238 | $275 | +15.3% |
Orlando, FL | $203 | $228 | +12.5% |
Branson, MO | $262 | $294 | +12.2% |
Miramar Beach, FL | $506 | $567 | +12.0% |
Michigan, MI | $344 | $385 | +11.9% |
Washington, DC | $252 | $282 | +11.9% |
Los Angeles, CA | $259 | $287 | +10.7% |
San Diego, CA | $388 | $420 | +8.2% |
Portland, OR | $262 | $279 | +6.3% |
Gulf Shores, AL | $434 | $458 | +5.6% |
Gatlinburg, TN | $360 | $378 | +5.2% |
Hilton Head Island, SC | $451 | $472 | +4.8% |
Houston, TX | $195 | $204 | +4.3% |
Ocean City, MD | $423 | $439 | +3.7% |
Pigeon Forge, TN | $326 | $337 | +3.4% |
Destin, FL | $547 | $563 | +3.0% |
Chicago, IL | $316 | $323 | +2.2% |
Panama City Beach, FL | $382 | $385 | +0.7% |
Wildwood, NJ | $458 | $442 | −3.5% |
Myrtle Beach, SC | $342 | $329 | −3.9% |
Seattle, WA | $334 | $320 | −4.2% |
Las Vegas, NV | $195 | $186 | −4.7% |
Orange Beach, AL | $498 | $450 | −9.8% |
Pensacola Beach, FL | $558 | $466 | −16.5% |
Rome, IT | $195 | $200 | +2.5% |
Paris, FR | $221 | $230 | +4.2% |
London, GB | $191 | $187 | −2.1% |
Athens, GR | $106 | $117 | +11.2% |
Tokyo, JP | $118 | $118 | −0.6% |
Methodology: cozycozy.com analysed accommodation price data across 30 leading U.S. domestic destinations, comparing summer 2026 with summer 2025. International destination prices shown above correspond to the top destinations for American travelers abroad (Italy, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Japan), based on independent travel market research. International prices were converted from euros at €1 = $1.16 (mid-market rate, mid-June 2026) and rounded to the nearest dollar. Full dataset available on request.
Looking to stretch your summer travel budget without compromising on the experience? Discover America’s best-kept secrets with cozycozy’s ultimate guide to destination "dupes" and find out how you can save up to 60% on accommodation costs this summer.
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