The true cost of Thanksgiving this year

A new survey from Talker Research found that the average American will spend close to $1,000 this Thanksgiving — $952 to be exact — when factoring in travel costs. The results come from a 2,000-person survey split across ages and demographics.

Talker found that the average American hosting Thanksgiving will fork over $175 this year on food, plus another $110 on drinks. With the most common Thanksgiving dinner having eight guests, that’s about $22 per plate. 

The survey revealed people plan to spend $83 on decor, then another $291 on miscellaneous expenses, like buying a new outfit, or fixing something in their home before having guests over. 

If you’re traveling, the total gets even higher, with the average cost for those leaving home hitting $293. That’s in part because plane tickets, which are particularly expensive around the holidays, have risen steadily in price over the past few months, according to the Federal Reserve.

Another reason the holiday is getting so expensive: most people don’t celebrate it just once. Talker found that most people will attend three different Thanksgiving-related gatherings. 

But there is some good news for price-wary consumers: Thanksgiving staples haven’t shot up in costs this year like they have in the past. 

In fact, a recent analysis from Wells Fargo $WFC found that prices for turkey are down 3.7% when buying from national brands. And things like butter and canned vegetables cost less or the same as they did in 2024, according to national data.

Many of the food items that have shot up in price, like beef and coffee, don’t tend to find themselves on the Thanksgiving table. Although if you were thinking about making a Prime Rib along with a turkey, it might be a good idea to reconsider.

Wells Fargo estimated you can serve a ten-person Thanksgiving meal for just $80 total—without drinks — but that requires some serious paring down of the menu and doesn’t feel realistic considering Talker found the average American plans to have seven sides on the table.