Los Angeles on a Budget
When to go, what’s actually free, and where the costs actually are, so you’re not paying more than you need to.
Los Angeles has a reputation for expensive everything, and Beverly Hills can be, but the city’s best museums and its beaches cost nothing to see. Here’s how to keep the rest of the costs down without cutting the trip short.
Visit January-February, or September-November
Winter, outside the holiday period, brings LA’s lowest hotel and flight prices of the year, mild weather and thin crowds at major attractions. Fall, September through November, runs a close second, warm and clear with prices already dropping from the summer peak. Both beat the crowds and costs of a June-August trip.
The Getty Center and The Broad are genuinely free
The Getty Center, one of LA’s best art museums, costs nothing to enter, only parking, and The Broad’s general admission is free too, though the Kusama rooms often need a separate paid ticket. Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Boulevard, and Santa Monica and Venice Beaches all cost nothing to visit either, a real concentration of the city’s best sights without spending a cent on entry.
Budget for a rental car, it’s genuinely unavoidable
LA’s distances make a car close to essential, public transit covers only a handful of routes well and rideshares add up fast across a multi-day trip. Rental cars run $50-100 a day depending on the vehicle, factor this into the budget from the start rather than as an afterthought.
Grand Central Market and tacos beat a tourist sit-down
Grand Central Market in Downtown LA offers a wide range of food stalls at considerably better value than a formal restaurant, and LA’s taco trucks remain some of the best, cheapest food in the entire city regardless of neighbourhood. Koreatown and Little Tokyo both offer strong, affordable options away from the more expensive Westside restaurants.
Consider Downtown or Koreatown over Santa Monica or Beverly Hills
Hotels in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills sit at the top of the price range given the location and the views. Downtown LA offers some of the best hotel deals in the city while staying central, and Koreatown and Silver Lake both run noticeably cheaper while remaining well connected by car.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
