How much does it cost to attend an anime convention?

A typical 3-day anime convention costs $300 to $800 per person depending on location. That breaks down to about $50-80 for a badge, $100-200 for your share of a hotel room, $30-60 for food per day, and $50-150 for artist alley and merch. Use the convention budget calculator above with your specific convention and group size for a real estimate.

How do I save money at conventions?

Split hotel rooms (4 people per room cuts lodging by 75%). Buy your badge during early registration ($20-40 savings). Bring snacks and water to avoid $5 convention center bottled water. Set a hard spending limit for the dealer room before you walk in. Carpool or take transit instead of paying $20-30/day parking.

Should I budget for cosplay materials separately?

Yes. Cosplay materials should be budgeted months before the convention, not rolled into your trip cost. A new build can cost $100 to $500+ in materials alone. Use our budget calculator to estimate build costs, then add the trip costs here. Convention trip spending (badge, hotel, food) is separate from build spending (foam, fabric, paint).

How much should I bring for artist alley?

Most con-goers spend $40 to $100 in artist alley. Bring cash in small bills ($1s, $5s) because some artists don't take card. If you're specifically going for commissions, budget $30-80 per piece depending on complexity and the artist. Set your limit before you walk in or you'll spend it all at the first three tables.

Is it cheaper to drive or fly to a convention?

For groups, driving is almost always cheaper under 6 hours. A car of 4 people spending $60 in gas beats 4 plane tickets. Over 6 hours, compare: gas + tolls + parking + extra hotel night vs. flight + airport transport + no car at the con. Don't forget convention center parking ($15-30/day) if you drive.

How much does convention food cost?

Convention center food averages $12 to $18 per meal. Nearby restaurants run $15 to $30 for dinner. A 3-day convention with all meals eaten out costs $120 to $180 per person in food alone. Cut this in half by bringing breakfast from home, packing lunch on day one, and only eating out for dinner.

All tools

Join the community Like this tool? Help keep the site aliveTip

Free tool

Convention Budget Calculator

Know what your next con will actually cost. Pick a convention, set your group size, and get a full breakdown of badge, hotel, travel, food, and spending money.

Planning a build for this convention?

Costumary tracks your materials, budget, timeline, and build progress all in one workspace. Start your project now and arrive at the con floor with zero last-minute panic.

Start your build

How to budget for a convention

Convention costs sneak up on you. The badge is the easy part. It is the hotel split, the parking you forgot to check, the $16 chicken tenders at the convention center, and the artist alley prints you could not walk past that blow your budget. Most first-time con-goers underestimate their total spend by 40 to 60%.

The real cost breakdown

For a typical 3-day convention, lodging is your biggest expense (30 to 40% of total), followed by food (20 to 25%), then badge and shopping split the rest. If you are driving, gas and parking add $40 to $100 depending on distance. If flying, budget $200 to $400 for airfare plus $30 to $60 for airport-to-hotel transport each way.

How groups save money

Hotel rooms are the biggest savings lever. A $150/night room split four ways is $37.50 per person per night. Carpooling cuts gas and parking costs. Group dinners at sit-down restaurants are cheaper per person than everyone buying convention center food individually. The calculator above splits shared costs automatically when you set a group size larger than one.

First convention vs. repeat attendee

Your first convention is more expensive because you are buying things you will reuse: a rolling suitcase for cosplay transport, a repair kit, comfortable walking shoes, a portable charger. By your third convention, your base costs drop because you already own the gear. The variable costs (badge, hotel, food, shopping) stay the same.

Related guides

Deep dives and cost breakdowns for this topic.

Convention Trip Budget: $85 to $2,100+

10 min read

I tracked actual spending at 6 cons. Local day trip: $85. Dragon Con weekend: $1,400. Flying to Anime Expo: $2,100. Here's where every dollar goes.

Convention Vendor Profit: The Real Math

11 min read

You sold $800 at your last con. After the table, hotel, gas, inventory, and card fees? You lost $150. Here's how to calculate your real convention profit.

Read all guides →

More free tools for makers

Budget Calculator

Estimate your build cost before you start. Add materials, track spending, and stay on budget from first sketch to con floor.

Commission Pricing Calculator

Figure out what to charge. Factor in materials, labor hours, complexity, and overhead so you never underprice a commission again.

Prop Scaling Calculator

Scale any weapon, staff, or accessory to your height. Input the character's canon dimensions and your measurements, get cut-ready numbers.

Prop Weight Estimator

Estimate how much your prop will weigh before you build it. Choose material, enter dimensions, and check comfort for all-day convention carry.

Spray Paint Color Matcher

Upload a reference image or paste a hex code, then find close spray paint matches for props, helmets, 3D prints, and model kits.

Miniature Paint Matcher

Upload box art or paste a hex code to find the closest miniature paint from Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter, and 21 more brands. For Warhammer, Gunpla, and scale models.

Fur Color Matcher

Pick a color from your reference sheet and find the closest faux fur matches from Howl Fabrics and other suppliers. Validated against Pantone codes with ΔE 3.6 average accuracy.

Full Fur Palette Database

Browse real faux fur colors from 14 suppliers, build a palette for your fursuit, and start a project with your color picks pre-loaded.

Convention Packing Checklist

The packing list cosplayers actually use. Con essentials, repair kit, sewing survival, wig and makeup, and everything you forget until the parking lot.

Convention Profit Tracker

Was your show worth it? Estimate break-even before a craft fair, log actual sales after, and compare which shows actually make you money.

Cosplay Material Wizard

EVA foam, Worbla, or 3D printing? Answer 4 questions and get the right material with thickness guides, glue charts, and paint compatibility.

Fabric Yardage Calculator

How much fabric do you need? Pick a build type, enter your measurements, and get yardage estimates with stretch and waste factors for cosplay and sewing.

Carousel Composer

Drop your slide templates, overlay photos on each one, crop and rotate, then export everything as a zip. Runs in your browser, nothing uploaded.

What are you building next?

Start with a template, customize the milestones and materials, and build without losing track.

Ai Hoshino

~6w

Oshi no Ko's beloved idol star brought to life. The signature star-shaped eyes, bright pink hair, and white idol dress are instantly recognizable, but getting the dress silhouette right and handling the star eye contacts takes planning. 5 components, 12 materials, ~5-6 weeks, $150-320.

12 milestones·12 materials·$150-320·

Use template

Goku

~4w

The most iconic anime hero: the orange gi, the blue undershirt, the spiky black hair. Goku's look is a martial arts uniform with Saiyan flair, and it's one of the most recognized cosplays on any con floor. This template covers the full outfit: the wrap-front gi top, the blue wristbands and obi, the boot covers, and the gravity-defying wig. 7 components, 10 materials with cost estimates, a 12-step build plan, and a realistic 4-week, $70 to $200 budget.

12 milestones·10 materials·$70-200·

Use template

Naruto Uzumaki

~4w

The most recognized ninja in anime: Naruto's orange zip-up jacket with white trim, blue sandals, Leaf Village headband, and spiky blonde hair. A beginner-friendly build with one statement jacket, a styled wig, and a few accessories that read instantly on the con floor. Includes 5 components, 12 materials with cost estimates, 11 milestones, and a realistic 4-week, $80 to $200 budget.

11 milestones·13 materials·$80-200·

Use template

Sung Jinwoo

~7w

Solo Leveling's Shadow Monarch in his iconic default hunter outfit: a long black coat with purple inner lining, structured shoulder armor, fitted pants, and dual daggers. This is an intermediate hybrid build that combines garment sewing with foam armor crafting for the shoulder details, plus prop work for the daggers. The coat and its glowing purple lining are the make-or-break detail. Includes 7 components, 19 materials with cost estimates, a 15-step build plan, and a realistic 5-7 week, $120 to $320 budget.

15 milestones·16 materials·$120-320·

Use template

Start free forever Browse all templates

Used by makers from r/cosplay, The RPF, Cosplay.com, r/Gunpla, and r/minipainting

Convention Budget Calculator