Forum debate: a dinner date can set you back 100 to 200 euros

A dinner-and-drinks date can cost between 100 and 200 euros, according to a calculation circulating on a forum

Going out to dinner with someone you have just met and ending the night with drinks has become, for some participants in a forum thread, an exercise in household accounting. The most frequently quoted calculation puts the minimum spend at 100 euros on the low end, with the realistic scenario between 150 and 200 if parking, a taxi or a hotel room are added. The figure is no exaggeration, according to those debating: a plate of pasta with four sprigs of parsley already costs 15 euros at any neighbourhood Italian, and a dinner for two with wine, dessert and coffee at a mid-priced restaurant easily climbs above 120 euros without anyone ordering anything exotic.

The matter has stopped being a dinner-table anecdote and has become an economic question: what return does that outlay deliver? The conversation, which starts with a back-of-the-envelope calculation, ends up drifting towards opportunity cost, the asymmetry of expectations and a comparison with cheaper alternatives that come with guarantees. Some argue that the dating market has become professionalised and that the price of a mediocre night is no longer worth it.

What a dinner for two really costs

The range depends on the menu, but the concrete examples circulating allow the bill to be reconstructed. A starter salad with smoked salmon and avocado comes to around 14.8 euros; a steak tartare with a fried egg rises to 17.5; a main of roast lamb back with panadera potatoes goes to 21.9; a homemade dessert such as a coulant or tiramisu adds between 5.9 and 6.5 euros. Not counting the wine, whose list is not even published on the restaurant's website, the total for two diners comfortably exceeds 80 euros on food alone.

On top of that comes travel. Some calculate 6 euros in diesel for the round alucinación to a restaurant on the outskirts, while others point out that parking in a central area can cost more than the dessert. The recurring conclusion is that the budget for a classic date — Italian, drinks at the trendiest club and the ride home — does not drop below 100 euros, and that 150-200 is the realistic scenario if a hotel or taxi is added.

Opportunity cost: AI as the new yardstick

The most frequent comparison is not with another date, but with a subscription. A month of an artificial intelligence tool for coding non-stop costs a fraction of what is spent in a single night, and the analogy has caught on: the AI monthly fee is the new yardstick for everything. The argument is not only economic, it is about expectations. You pay for a night hoping for an uncertain outcome, while the alternative spending offers a measurable return.

The comparison with the paid market appears in several messages. More expensive than hiring a prostitute, one sums up. A rip-off, declares another, who adds hotel and taxi to the bill. The shared conclusion is that the price of a date guarantees nothing: not conversation, not chemistry, not a second time. The full calculation, broken down item by item, leaves a differential that surprises even the person who wrote it.

Who pays and why the asymmetry matters

The question of who picks up the bill runs through the whole conversation. Some claim that if you are an alpha, they are the ones who want to treat you, and others reply sarcastically that this is a fantasy. The most common experience is the opposite: the person who invites expects something, and the one who accepts the invitation does not always reciprocate. One specific case describes someone who insisted on paying for two drinks under 5 euros and then disappeared from WhatsApp after saying goodbye.

The strategy that emerges as the most rational is escalation: first a terrace at 19:30, then, if the conversation flows, suggesting dinner, and before asking for the bill, testing the waters with a few drinks. If the answer is yes, you pay for dinner and split the drinks; if it is no, you split the bill. The advice includes driving your own car and parking the other person's car far away, to avoid conflicts and keep the option of extending the night.

Alternatives: from BK to the Palace

The range of answers includes everyone from those who never leave home to those who have found refuge in their own kitchen. One case describes buying an entrecôte to grill at home, arguing that you save money and eat better. Another points out that, at today's prices, going to a mediocre restaurant costs the same as a luxury experience at a classic hotel, and that if you are going to spend anyway, make it 100 euros with ministerial service.

The most radical option belongs to the person who only buys the essentials, always at the supermarket, and rules out anyone who does not own a car or lives in a rental. If a date costs me more than 5 euros, she is ruled out, he sums up. At the other extreme, there are those who argue that a first date should not include dinner: if she is interested, it makes no difference to her whether you go for dinner or just have a glass of water.

What has changed in the dating market

The conversation evolves from the economic to the structural. It starts by calculating the price of an Italian dinner and ends up debating whether the traditional courtship model makes sense in a context of inflation and dating apps. The most repeated conclusion is that spending buys no guarantees, and that the alternative — staying home, cooking, or simply not going out — is gaining ground. The cautious prediction is that the classic date format will survive, but increasingly reserved for those who can afford it without looking at the bill. The rest can share a pizza.