20 December 18-24, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Check, Please How much does it cost to go clubbing in Miami? BY OSVALDO ESPINO I f there’s one thing Miami has never lost, it’s its reputation as a city powered by late nights and even loud dance floors. From downtown to Wynwood, Coconut Grove to the beach, club culture has been part of the city’s identity since the vice- era eighties, when ballers from around the country flew in to party at some of the most legendary venues in the nation. Today, that scene feels a little more in- tense. Covers are heftier, dance floors are tighter, drinks somehow keep getting pricier, and bottle service has become a spectacle where men practically throw cash at each other just to flex. It’s enough for some people to claim clubbing is “ruined.” But the truth is, it’s not nearly as bad as your pocket-watching homies make it sound. So let’s break down what a night out in Mi- ami actually costs, using a few staple spots as examples. We’ll walk through the typical cover and average drink prices, and even cal- culate what it looks like if you take a date out, so you don’t have to do math at 1:30 a.m. Club Space is a good place to start. A true icon of Miami nightlife, it’s the same spot where girls film GRWM videos at five in the morning before getting tipsy on mimosas and tequila sodas while Ben Sterling or Beltran sends the Terrace into orbit. Space utilises a tiered ticket system through Dice, where the price increases as each tier sells out. Tickets are timed, too. A ticket might say “before 3 a.m.,” and if you stroll in at 3:05 a.m., you’re paying an extra cover at the door. Depending on the headliner, the length of the night, and whether Space plans to run for a full twenty- four hours, you’ll see combinations like be- fore 1 a.m., before 3 a.m., after 7 a.m., after 10 a.m. and the coveted anytime ticket that lets you walk in whenever you want. The anytime tickets can range from $50 to $100, depending on the artist, while tickets purchased after 7 a.m. or after 10 a.m. can be as low as $10 to $30. And if the show sells out and your girlfriend insists she needs to see Mau P, the Radiate resell market will happily provide a ticket at double the original price. Once you get inside, drinks add to the to- tal. The bar has a $20 card minimum, and the menu includes everything from $7-$9 cock- tails and beers to $14 coconuts filled with co- conut water, $5 ginger shots, and the infamous $12 grilled cheese. By the time you buy a couple of drinks and see a world-class DJ who’s likely playing far longer than they would at a typical concert, you’re probably looking at around $150 total. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, arrive at seven in the morning, grab a mimosa, dance with the morning maniacs, and call it a day for around $50. LIV is an en- tirely different universe and the place most tour- ists have in mind when they think “Miami night- club.” It’s Dave Grutman’s fan- tasy that he’s able to sell thanks to all his celebrity friends. Tucked inside the Fontaine- bleau, the room spans twenty-two thousand square feet, most of which is taken up by ta- bles ranging anywhere from one thousand to ten thousand dollars. If that number already made your stomach hurt, general admission might be a safer lane. LIV also uses timed, tiered tickets, but they’re separated by gender. Men can pur- chase early arrival tickets, which require you to be inside before 11:30 p.m., for around $50. Alternatively, standard entry is available for around $60 if you plan to arrive around 1 a.m. There’s also a VIP anytime option for $250, available to anyone who wants to skip the headache entirely. Women have it easier with a general admission ticket that starts around $50 in the first tier. It’s worth noting that LIV’s line is one of the worst in the city. If you don’t get there be- fore midnight, prepare to wait, especially for a big headliner who goes on around 2:30 a.m. or 3 a.m. Drinks don’t make it any easier on your wallet. Beers start around $20, and while we have never bought a cocktail there on a jour- nalist’s salary, the internet consistently re- ports that mixed drinks run about thirty dollars each. Altogether, a night at LIV tends to land somewhere between $120 - $210, and you can double that if you’re taking a date to watch Quavo perform three songs or John Summit spin a two-hour set. If that all feels exhausting already, let’s bring it back down with La Otra in Wynwood. If you love perreo, Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejan- dro, and all the sweaty reggaeton energy that comes with it, this is your spot. The face cover sits at $28, or $33 if you want to start the night with a drink ticket. Drinks run around $15, which is the unofficial Miami av- erage. Altogether, you’re looking at roughly $60 for a fun, high-energy night, or $120 if you’re dancing with a partner. For something still stylish but more laid back, Mode in Downtown Miami is a solid middle ground. It leans toward the house mu- sic crowd and offers an upstairs and down- stairs room, providing two distinct vibes for the price of one. Depending on the night, the cover ranges from free to $20, which already makes it one of the more forgiving venues in the city. Cocktails land between $16 and $20, beer and wine fall between $9 and $16, and house mixed drinks usually sit around $12. If you pick your moments wisely, you can walk out of Mode having spent anywhere from $27 to $60 on your own or $54 to $120 if you’re bringing someone along. With great cocktails and a strong rotation of local DJs, it’s easily one of the most budget-friendly clubs in the downtown area. So while Miami’s club scene has defi- nitely changed, it’s not the financial apoca- lypse some people paint it to be. With a bit of planning, you can still find a good dance floor, a good DJ, and a good drink without emptying your bank account. And if you do end up on a date, well, we’ve already done the math for you. [email protected] ▼ Music The 24/7 party palace E11even has quickly become one of the city’s most popular clubs. Photo by Adi Adinayev / adinayev.com WHILE MIAMI’S CLUB SCENE HAS DEFINITELY CHANGED, IT’S NOT THE FINANCIAL APOCALYPSE SOME PEOPLE PAINT IT TO BE. ALWAYS IN YOUR FEED. CHOOSE YOUR CHANNEL
