There is no reliable national figure for what prom costs a guy. The last big survey of prom spending is a decade old, and it did not split the total by who was wearing what. So instead of an average, here is a worksheet. Every line most guys run into, what drives it, and the real numbers we could find.
Fill in your own prices as you go. Your number will be more useful than anyone's average.
The big lines
Ticket
Set by your school, and it varies a lot. On-campus proms can be inexpensive. Proms at commercial venues cost more. At Gunn High School in Palo Alto, 2025 tickets ran from $90 to $185 depending on when students bought, according to the school's student newspaper. Check for an early-bird price, and whether you are buying a ticket for a guest too.
Tux or suit
Usually the biggest single cost. When we checked rental companies' own websites in October 2026, Generation Tux listed most suit and tuxedo rentals at $159. Men's Wearhouse advertised prom suit packages from $149.99. The Black Tux listed full rented outfits at $289 to $324 before discounts. A 2025 report in a North Carolina student newspaper put typical prom tux rentals at $160 to $200.
Buying costs more upfront. The same companies listed suits to buy starting at $200, $299.99 and $550 respectively. Our page on renting vs. buying a prom suit covers when buying pays off.
Alterations
If you rent, you mostly skip this. Rental companies allow only minor sleeve and hem adjustments, and both Generation Tux and The Black Tux reimburse a small amount for them. If you buy, budget for a tailor. Hemming trousers and adjusting sleeves are the usual jobs. Ask for a quote when you buy.
The pieces around the suit
Check what your rental includes before buying any of these. Men's Wearhouse's prom package, for example, includes the shirt, tie and shoes. Some other rental prices cover only the jacket and trousers.
- Dress shirt, and studs or cufflinks if it needs them.
- Tie or bow tie, and a pocket square.
- Vest or cummerbund, if you want one.
- Dress shoes. Renting them is an option, and so is borrowing.
- Dark dress socks, and a belt or suspenders.
Grooming
A haircut is the main one. It is also the kind of cost that has risen fastest. Economist Jay Zagorsky, writing in Fortune in 2023, found haircut prices had roughly doubled since 1998, while men's sport coats had fallen about 25 percent. Clothes are not what has made prom pricier. Services are.
The night
- Flowers. Traditionally each date buys flowers for the other, so you may be buying a corsage and receiving a boutonniere. Our page on who buys the corsage covers the details.
- Dinner before prom, often with a group. Restaurant meals also roughly doubled in price since 1998 in Zagorsky's data, so this line can surprise you.
- Transportation. A parent drop-off is free. A limo or party bus is split across a group, so the cost per person depends on how many share it.
- Photos, from a hired photographer at a pre-prom gathering or the venue's booth.
- A promposal, if you are planning one. These can cost nothing or a fair amount.
- After-prom plans, if any.
The costs people forget
Rental fees that only show up if something goes wrong. Generation Tux charges $25 a day per rental for late returns and adds a $12 damage waiver to each order. The Black Tux charges a $60 extension fee for late returns. Returning the box on time is the easiest money you will save all spring.
Tips matter too, for the barber, the driver and the server at dinner. And if you are paying for your date's ticket or dinner, count those twice.
Putting it together
Add your lines, then compare the total to what you or your family can actually spend. Our prom budget calculator does the adding for you and splits shared costs across a group.
If the total is too high, start with shared costs like transportation and dinner, then the extras, and only then the outfit. Renting instead of buying, borrowing shoes, and skipping the limo all make a real difference. Our page on prom on a budget has more ideas, and our guide to what prom costs explains the national numbers that do exist, like Visa's 2015 survey.
Many prom shops listed on this site also rent tuxedos and suits. Ask what they offer.