When it comes to alcoholic drinks, a favorite among many has to be the margarita. Its ingredients are both simple and accessible, making for a quick and tasty drink you can create all by yourself.
As margaritas are one of the most popular drinks in the United States, the Today’s Homeowner team decided to do some research to determine the average cost of making your own. We collected data on the price of five main margarita ingredients from zip codes throughout the country to determine the cost of making a margarita in each state. Here’s what we found:
According to our research, Arizona offered the cheapest way to make your own margarita at $2.01, $0.55 cheaper than the national average of $2.56. The state earned the cheapest margarita due in part to its inexpensive Jose Cuervo, the cheapest of any state at $9.99 ($0.79 per drink made). Arizona had the cheapest tequila, but couldn’t offer the cheapest triple sec, as Iowa earned the lowest average price of DeKuyper Triple Sec at $3.50 ($1.31 per drink made).
The western part of the country proved to be the cheapest area to make a margarita, with Arizona, California, Washington, and Nevada all making the top 10.
Alabamans faced the most expensive way to make their own margarita at $3.00, $0.44 more expensive than the nationwide average. This was due in part to the state offering the most expensive Jose Cuervo at $23.99 ($1.90 per drink made).
Tennessee and Kansas both had the most expensive DeKuyper Triple Sec at $11.99 ($0.47 per drink made); however, Tennessee was the only one of the two in the top 10 most expensive states to make a margarita.
The East Coast seemed to be one of the most expensive parts of the country to make your own margarita, with Virginia, D.C., Connecticut, New York, and North Carolina all making the top 10 most expensive states to make a margarita.
If you want to save some money for your next margarita get away, you may want to avoid some of the most expensive cities in the U.S. Read our research on the best cities to save money.
A good margarita needs more than just alcohol. Margarita mix, lime, and salt are all necessary ingredients to perfect the creation of the drink. Just like the cost of alcohol, some of these ingredients varied in price.
The cost of margarita mix was fairly steady from state to state, with the exception of Alaska, whose average cost of Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix was $8.73 ($1.03 per drink made). The cost of a lime changed the most from state to state. Hawaii had the most expensive lime at $0.64 ($.0.11 per drink made), while Arizona had the cheapest at $0.23 ($0.04 per drink made).
The Cost of a Margarita in Each State
State | Cost |
|---|---|
Alabama | $3.00 |
Alaska | $2.83 |
Arizona | $2.01 |
Arkansas | $2.90 |
California | $2.12 |
Colorado | $2.19 |
Connecticut | $2.80 |
D.C. | $2.80 |
Delaware | $2.52 |
Florida | $2.42 |
Georgia | $2.30 |
Hawaii | $2.59 |
Idaho | $2.63 |
Illinois | $2.26 |
Indiana | $2.60 |
Iowa | $2.34 |
Kansas | $2.62 |
Kentucky | $2.55 |
Louisiana | $2.82 |
Maine | $2.78 |
Maryland | $2.51 |
Massachusetts | $2.63 |
Michigan | $2.78 |
Minnesota | $2.21 |
Mississippi | $2.50 |
Missouri | $2.59 |
Montana | $2.42 |
Nebraska | $2.54 |
Nevada | $2.28 |
New Hampshire | $2.51 |
New Jersey | $2.69 |
New Mexico | $2.22 |
New York | $2.84 |
North Carolina | $2.84 |
North Dakota | $2.41 |
Ohio | $2.70 |
Oklahoma | $2.68 |
Oregon | $2.54 |
Pennsylvania | $2.78 |
Rhode Island | $2.74 |
South Carolina | $2.60 |
South Dakota | $2.67 |
Tennessee | $2.86 |
Texas | $2.30 |
Utah | $2.35 |
Vermont | $2.67 |
Virginia | $2.78 |
Washington | $2.31 |
West Virginia | $2.56 |
Wisconsin | $2.39 |
Wyoming | $2.55 |
