Has inflation gotten you deflated about your dating prospects? Well, the rising U.S. Consumer Price Index, which jumped up by 3.8% from April 2025 to April 2026, has given rise to a new term on social media: “date-flation.” It represents the fact that practically everything you may need to go on a date—ranging from transportation to food to even condoms—has become a whole lot more expensive these days.
In fact, in February 2026, BMO bank reported results from a survey that found that the average “all-in” date in the U.S. had already gone from $168 in 2025 up to $189. That’s a greater-than-inflation increase of 12.5%. Ipsos conducted the survey for BMO from December 29, 2025 to January 27, 2026, on a representative sample of 2,501 adults (ages 18 years and older) in the U.S. The concern is that such findings represent yet another obstacle to your finding love. But don’t despair because inflation may not enact such a terrible price on your dating—if you haev the proper mindset.
Date-Flation May Be Affecting Different Generations Differently
First of all, the impact of date-flation may depend heavily on the financial resources and expectations of yours and those around you. The results of the BMO survey did reveal differences among the generations when it came to the average spend and the effects of date-flation. The highest average spend per date was among Millennials, going from $191 in 2025 all the way up to $252. Big yikes. This was followed by Gen Zers, which went from $194 up to an oof $205. The average cost for Gen Xers increased by only a dollar, from $172 to $173. Then there were the Baby boomers, who actually had a drop in spend from $127 down to $126). OK Boomers.
Date-Flation May Change What You Do On Dates
The differences in average costs between generations likely reflect differences in what people are typically doing on dates. It’s not as if a restaurant will say, “Oh, you are a Millennial? That means we’ll charge you more for everything, especially anything plant-based or with Kombucha.” So, one way to deal with date-flation is to simply scale down your expectations of how elaborate your dates and the prep for those dates are going to be.
This could mean presenting more your true self than making the date a presentation. Date-flation could be a reminder as to the primary purpose of going out on a date: to see if the two of you are a match. That doesn’t necessarily have to be done at an expensive restaurant or show. Consider more affordable venues—like parks and museums—to afford the time and opportunity to get to know each other.
Of course, a more inexpensive date could cost you a shot with someone who is looking for something more lavish. After all, some on social media have claimed that a simpler date, like a coffee date, can be a sign of lack of interest, lack of resources, or even disrespect, as I covered previously in “A Funny Bone to Pick.” But it is not clear exactly what percentage of people actually hold this view. And you have to decide for yourself whether you can afford to lose such people as possibilities.
Date-Flation May Mean Going On Fewer Dates
Another way to deal with date-flation is to just go on fewer dates. This is an opportunity to review the criteria you are using to go on a date with someone. If it is something like “anyone with a pulse who will go out with me,” then maybe, just maybe, your criteria are too loose, and maybe you are going on way too many dates. Remember, quality can be a whole lot more important than quantity.
Even if you do feel that you are already being very selective, you may be inflating the wrong screening criteria for dates—such as the superficial ones like appearance—and discounting the ones that will matter more in the long run—like personality and values. So, date-flation could make it more necessary for you to more carefully evaluate what you want and how to find it. It could trigger a useful review of your dating strategies in general.
Date-Flation May Change Who Pays For Dates
Of course, you are going to pay more for date-flation if you pay more for, well, each date. This whole date-flation thing has added even more fuel to the continuing arguments on social media—yes, surprise, surprise, there are arguments on social media—over who should be paying for a date. This is a loaded question because dating can involve a lot of reading between the lines, including the lines in a restaurant bill.
For example, if you offer to pay for everything, does that mean that you want something in return or suggesting that your date can’t stand on his or her own? Conversely, if you want to split the bill evenly, does that mean that you won’t be generous in a relationship or are signaling that no interest in going further? Yep, it’s all a game of what-the-heck-is-the-other-person-thinking.
Some on social media have suggested that the date-flation will cause a shift towards more traditional and perhaps stereotypical provider roles when it comes to dating. In other words, the argument is that more women will be looking for men to pay for everything. At the same time, there are men on social media urging other men to not pay for dates in order to weed out those just looking to free load.
Remember, though, whatever anyone happens to say on social media doesn’t necessarily apply to all or even any individuals. Dating is about finding the right match for you. So you’ve got to do you and be yourself. You are more likely to find what you are projecting. Therefore, don’t pretend to be something that you are not.
Perhaps one benefit of date-flation is that it will make everyone think more carefully of what they really want. It certainly raises the cost of being a professional dater or otherwise just dating for the sake of dating. It also may make you a lot less tolerant of someone with an inflated sense of himself or herself.