Cheers: The Cheapest & Most Expensive US Airports For Beer

There are a wide range of prices, but some airports stand out.


Photo: Getty Images

With passenger numbers in the US ramping up ahead of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, many travelers will be in a celebratory mood. Some may want to mark their journeys with a beer at altitude, where such drinks taste different. However, for those wanting to raise a glass at the airport, where can this be done the cheapest?

Portland is the place to go

A recent study undertaken by FinanceBuzz examined the prices of regular servings of 'domestic macrobrew' beers at the country's 50 busiest airports by passenger volume. This constitutes the likes of Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. As such, readers with a taste for quirkier craft beer should expect higher prices than those listed.

The study found that, of these 50 airports, only one had an average beer price that came in below the USD 5 mark. This is the case at Oregon's Portland International Airport (PDX), where such drinks cost, on average, just USD 4.33. In terms of passenger volume, FinanceBuzz notes that Portland is the 26th-busiest airport in the US.

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is next on the list, with its average coming to USD 5. Rounding out the top five, we have Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (USD 5.32), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (USD 5.50), and (joint fifth) San Antonio International Airport and Nashville International Airport (both USD 5.83).

New York commands high prices

When it comes to the most expensive beer prices at US airports, New York LaGuardia comes out on top, and is the only facility whose average cost is above the USD 10 mark. Specifically, a standard-sized domestic macrobrew will set passengers back USD 12.33, with this figure being a whole 66% higher than the national average.

As it happens, airports in and around the New York City area feature prominently in the top five. Indeed, Newark Liberty International (USD 9.31) places third, with JFK (USD 8.81) ranking fifth. Completing the top five, we have second-placed Detroit Wayne County (USD 9.36) and fourth-placed Las Vegas Harry Reid International (USD 8.86).

New York isn't the only city with multiple airports present at the high end of the spectrum. Indeed, Dallas also has two representatives in the top 10, the more expensive of which is ninth-placed Dallas Love Field (USD 8.32). Meanwhile, Dallas/Fort Worth International ranks 10th, with an average domestic macrobrew price of USD 8.30.

Busier airports are generally more expensive

Interestingly, FinanceBuzz was able to draw certain correlations from its study, observing that, generally speaking, busier airports command higher prices for their beer. Indeed, the site notes that six of the 10 most expensive airports for beer rank among the country's 15 busiest airports when it comes to passengers.

Similarly, none of the 10 cheapest airports for beer can be found inside the top 20 busiest US airports by passenger volume (although ninth-placed Tampa (USD 6.33) comes close, being the 21st-busiest). With this correlation in mind, this is another win for smaller airports, where many pints will be poured in the coming days.