Los Angeles is spread out, so most visitors need a rental car, and gas, hotel parking and attraction parking come with it. Hotel taxes, Universal Studios tickets and tipping push most trips well past the plan.
Starts with a sample trip. Change any number to match yours.
Compare hotels in Los Angeles →For 4 nights with flights, a hotel and food, plan on about $2,450. Once you add the costs most visitors forget, like a rental car, gas, hotel taxes, parking and Universal Studios tickets, it's closer to $4,050. Use the calculator above to change any number to match your trip.
Winter is usually cheapest. KAYAK's hotel data shows January as the cheapest month for Los Angeles hotels and February as the most expensive. Booking Universal Studios for a weekday also helps, since ticket prices change by date. Source
Most visitors do. Beaches, Hollywood, the Getty and Universal Studios are far apart, and crossing the city can take an hour. Budget for gas, which averages over $6 a gallon in the Los Angeles area, plus hotel and attraction parking. Source
The FlyAway bus runs from every LAX terminal to Union Station and Van Nuys for $12.75 each way. From Union Station you can take the Metro or a short rideshare. If you're renting a car, the rental shuttles leave from the terminals. Source
The City of Los Angeles charges a 14% hotel tax, and hotels with 50 or more rooms add a 2% tourism fee, so expect about 16%. Voters rejected a plan to raise the hotel tax in June 2026. Many hotels also charge for parking on top of the room rate. Source