Silicon Valley is full of young professionals looking for success among the craziness of the technology world.
According to Pew Research Center, the rise in popularity of dating apps like Tinder and Bumble has young professionals dating more and more.
A study conducted by the online tuxedo rental website, The Black Tux, labeled San Francisco and San Jose as the second and third most expensive cities in the country for dating, respectively.
“I think San Jose lends itself to more nights in,” said Google marketing manager Tarun Galagali. “It feels more affordable than San Francisco, the dates are more casual and conversational.”
The Black Tux estimated the average date in the Bay Area costs up to $145. This includes two ride-share trips, dinner for two, plus a 20 percent tip, two movie tickets and two alcoholic drinks.
Typically, Galagali spends about $100 on a first date.
“Honestly, if I wasn’t working in tech, I’d find it hard to justify spending that much,” he said. “But then again, I think for issues of the heart, you sort of assume you’ll figure it out.”
For college students who are not working in high paying positions like technology creation and analysis, $100 may seem a little steep for a first date.
Civil engineering senior Jesus Ramos said he usually spends an average of $50 to $70 on a first date. As a full-time college student, Ramos finds himself looking for more affordable ways to go on dates.
“Once [my girlfriend and I] got deeper into our relationship, we were both like alright, how do we save money,” Ramos said. “We don’t care about impressing each other anymore, we work together to see how we can have fun on a budget.”
The growing cost of dating in the Bay Area has forced couples like Ramos and his girlfriend to become more creative when deciding how to spend time with each other.
“Our dates were cheap and creative, and we went to Palo Alto over San Jose,” said UC Berkeley Doctor of Jurisprudence candidate and girlfriend to Galagali, Angeli Patel.
Galagali believes people can date sustainably from a financial standpoint. To him, date nights in areas such as San Francisco should be reserved for grand gestures, like anniversaries or romantic evenings.
Both Ramos and Galagali agree that dating is much cheaper outside of the Bay Area.
“My date with [Patel], which wasn’t officially a date, but it felt like one, cost me $0,” said Galagali.
Ramos explained how going on a date back in his hometown, San Ramon, was much easier to navigate without attaching a heavy price tag.
“We’d go eat at a local dinner, where food is way cheaper, and afterwards, we’d go to a park or something,” said Ramos.
Dating costs being high in the Bay Area is no surprise to those who reside in the region. An article published in 2018 by USA Today crowned San Jose and San Francisco as the top two richest cities in America.
Although dating in Silicon Valley comes with a high price tag, Galagali does not let this stop him.
“I guess sometimes you don’t think about your finances when you’re planning dates for a romantic partner,” said Galagali.
