It can cost you a pricey penny to attend a sporting event, but some teams can help you save a little change while out enjoying gameday.
The IGaming site Lucky Gambler revealed a new study, which indexed all 29 Major League Soccer teams and weighted them by eight different factors contributing towards the overall cost of gameday. These factors included the average cost of a game ticket, average cost of a jersey, and a median cost of a one-night hotel stay within two miles from the stadium. It also looked at the average cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant in the city, average cost of a taxi, number of jerseys available, and the average cost of a one-night Airbnb stay.
Minnesota United, who play at Saint Paul’s Allianz Field, ranked the cheapest team for fans with an index score of 81.91 out of 100. The study found that fans can purchase a jersey for an average of $88.21, the average cost of a ticket at Allianz Field is $96, and an average cost of a taxi in the city is $1.55 per km. Minnesota United was followed by FC Cincinnati — with an average meal costing $13.50 — and Real Salt Lake, with a gameday ticket costing $68.
On the other side of the spectrum, the most expensive MLS soccer team is New England Revolution, according to the study. New England fans would have to pay an average of $102 for a jersey, and the average cost of a hotel near Gillette Stadium is $282. Toronto FC, Charlotte FC, and the New York Red Bulls followed with expensive prices.
A spokesperson for Lucky Gambler commented on the study findings, noting that the average prices coincide with the team’s location.
“The average cost of living in Foxborough is about 38% higher than the national average and about 11% higher than the Massachusetts state average,” the spokesperson said. “Therefore, it doesn’t come at a surprise that New England Revolution are the most expensive team to be a fan of.
“Whilst Minnesota United is the cheapest team, with the cost of living in Minnesota at 3% lower than the national average.”
Lucky Gambler also noted that MLS stadiums have now reached above the 20,000 average fans per match threshold. While numbers vary per game, there’s still a lot of factors to consider before opening your wallet.
“When going to a soccer game, the cost of a ticket isn’t the only expense involved, as costs of travel, food, hotels can also be included,” the spokesperson said. “Today, even jerseys are becoming more expensive than the price of one game ticket.”
Find the full list of MLS teams — ranked from cheapest to most expensive — below:
Rank |
Club |
Stadium |
City |
Index (/100) |
1 |
Minnesota United |
Allianz Field |
Saint Paul |
81.91 |
2 |
FC Cincinnati |
TQL Stadium |
Cincinnati |
72.34 |
3 |
Real Salt Lake |
America First Field |
Sandy |
70.83 |
4 |
Columbus Crew |
Lower.com Field |
Columbus |
67.32 |
5 |
Orlando City |
Exploria Stadium |
Orlando |
66.53 |
6 |
Nashville SC |
Geodis Park |
Nashville |
65.07 |
7 |
CF Montréal |
Saputo Stadium |
Montreal |
64.00 |
8 |
Atlanta United |
Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
Atlanta |
63.68 |
9 |
Colorado Rapids |
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park |
Commerce City |
63.60 |
10 |
Portland Timbers |
Providence Park |
Portland |
63.57 |
11 |
Houston Dynamo FC |
Shell Energy Stadium |
Houston |
62.66 |
12 |
Sporting Kansas City |
Children’s Mercy Park |
Kansas City |
62.51 |
13 |
FC Dallas |
Toyota Stadium |
Frisco |
57.98 |
14 |
Philadelphia Union |
Subaru Park |
Chester |
57.41 |
15 |
Inter Miami CF |
DRV PNK Stadium |
Fort Lauderdale |
57.00 |
16 |
New York City FC |
Yankee Stadium |
New York City |
56.01 |
17 |
Austin FC |
Q2 Stadium |
Austin |
55.88 |
18 |
Seattle Sounders FC |
Lumen Field |
Seattle |
55.62 |
19 |
Los Angeles Football Club |
BMO Stadium |
Los Angeles |
54.10 |
20 |
Chicago Fire FC |
Soldier Field |
Chicago |
53.72 |
21 |
St. Louis City SC |
CityPark |
St. Louis |
52.94 |
22 |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
BC Place |
Vancouver |
52.54 |
23 |
D.C. United |
Audi Field |
Washington, D.C. |
52.14 |
24 |
LA Galaxy |
Dignity Health Sports Park |
Carson |
52.04 |
25 |
San Jose Earthquakes |
PayPal Park |
San Jose |
51.83 |
26 |
New York Red Bulls |
Red Bull Arena |
Harrison |
48.71 |
27 |
Charlotte FC |
Bank of America Stadium |
Charlotte |
46.52 |
28 |
Toronto FC |
BMO Field |
Toronto |
46.26 |
29 |
New England Revolution |
Gillette Stadium |
Foxborough |
43.17 |