Gifts and food aren’t the only large expenses associated with the holiday season — traveling can also require opening your wallet more than you’d like. But we do it anyway, so we can be surrounded by friends and family to celebrate the season.
Amid consistently large shares of flight delays and flight cuts by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), air travel will likely cause more stress than usual.
This major Texas city has more flight delays in 2025 than any other US airport
To top it off, the American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts a record number of Texans, and Americans in general, will partake in the busiest Thanksgiving travel season in 15 years. Around 5.8 million Texans may travel more than 50 miles from home during the period, which begins Tuesday and ends next Monday.
Regardless of where you fly out and where you’re heading, the cost of air travel doesn’t stop at the price of a ticket. Your traveling budget typically includes parking, food and hotel stays. Experts at Casino.ca analyzed the 50 busiest North American airports to determine the cheapest and most costly for travelers. The analysis compared the airports across the average prices of airport drinks, hotels and parking from June 2025 data.
“We’ve analyzed the fees and travel costs associated with 50 of the busiest North American airports, and we strongly encourage travelers to understand these expenses — especially families or larger groups — before booking,” Lara Wilson, expert at Casino.ca, told USA TODAY in a statement. “Exploring alternative routes or more cost-effective travel options can make a big difference to your budget.”
What are the most and least expensive airports on the continent, and how do Texas airports land among them? Here’s what the data collected by Casino.ca reveals.
Thanksgiving travel in Texas expected to break records this year
Small Texas airport is No. 2 cheapest in North America
Cars make their way to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. The small airport has been named the second most affordable in North America. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle)
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston is one of the least expensive airports on the continent, second only to Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) in Mexico. Here’s a cost breakdown:
-
Parking fee: $14 — lowest among airports
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Price of a hotel room: $101
HOU charges the lowest amount for one-night parking at $14, while Nashville International (BNA) charges the highest at $42. The small Houston airport also offers the cheapest one-night hotel stay, at $101.
DFW among most expensive North America airports
Travelers stand in line at a ticketing gate at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, at DFW Airport, Texas, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)
It may not surprise Texans that Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the fourth-most expensive airport on the continent. It also has the third most expensive one-night hotel stay at $287.67 — nearly triple the cost for HOU.
10 most expensive airports in North America
The total average cost in the following tables refers to the sum of the average prices for a beer, one-night parking, and a one-night hotel stay.
|
Rank |
Airport |
City |
State/Country |
Total average cost |
|
1 |
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) |
New York |
New York |
$381.41 |
|
2 |
Denver International Airport (DEN) |
Denver |
Colorado |
$351.41 |
|
3 |
Logan International Airport (BOS) |
Boston |
Massachusetts |
$335.91 |
|
4 |
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) |
Dallas |
Texas |
$325.05 |
|
5 |
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) |
New York |
New York |
$309.55 |
|
6 |
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) |
San Francisco |
California |
$301.58 |
|
7 |
San Diego International Airport (SAN) |
San Diego |
California |
$282.13 |
|
8 |
Miami International Airport (MIA) |
Miami |
Florida |
$272.90 |
|
9 |
Calgary International Airport (YYC) |
Calgary |
Canada |
$259.07 |
|
10 |
Midway International Airport (MDW) |
Chicago |
Illinois |
$258.10 |
10 cheapest airports in North America
While nearly all of North America’s most expensive airports can be found in the U.S., half of the continent’s cheapest airports are in Mexico.
|
Rank |
Airport |
City |
State/Country |
Total average cost |
|
1 |
Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) |
Tijuana |
Mexico |
$105.80 |
|
2 |
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) |
Houston |
Texas |
$122.95 |
|
3 |
Cancún International Airport (CUN) |
Cancún |
Mexico |
$128.06 |
|
4 |
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) |
New Orleans |
Louisiana |
$142.53 |
|
5 |
Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) |
Guadalajara |
Mexico |
$143.59 |
|
6 |
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) |
Phoenix |
Arizona |
$146.41 |
|
7 |
Monterrey International Airport (MTY) |
Monterrey |
Mexico |
$153.28 |
|
8 |
Mexico City International Airport (MEX) |
Mexico City |
Mexico |
$156.19 |
|
9 |
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) |
Raleigh |
North Carolina |
$160.21 |
|
10 |
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) |
Salt Lake City |
Utah |
$165.43 |

