How to Enjoy Miami on a Budget - Overview

You can do Miami on a budget, with a little planning!

Aug 4, 2025

Hey, y’all! I’m just back from a second trip to Miami, almost a year apart. This go around we are in a season of really watching the wallet and I realized it would be helpful to document our finds for you!

Yes, Miami is generally considered expensive and I’m here to confirm that is the case (those extra taxes on everything, though!). This is especially true for hotels, dining, and nightlife in touristy areas. However, with easy planning (even if it’s on the spur of the moment while you are already in Miami), it is possible to enjoy the city on a mid-range or budget-friendly plan, particularly if you:

•  Travel during shoulder season (April–May, September–November)

•  Stay outside of South Beach (like Downtown, Coconut Grove, or MiMo)

•  Use public transit and favor casual dining or neighborhood gems

•  Take advantage of free attractions and happy hour deals

OK, let’s dive in!

Travel During Shoulder Season

Shoulder season refers to the period between peak/high and off/low season. It means that it is a decent time to travel in terms of your pocketbook. I happened to be there just prior to the second wave of shoulder season, so I’ll be sharing this info with you from an August timeframe.

Stay Outside of South Beach

This is the recommendation to get the best bang for your buck. However, on this second trip, we actually did stay in South Miami Beach. I’ll note that we were here for a conference, so of course we stayed with our people. Last go around, we were in the downtown area. 
Let’s talk about Coconut Grove-aka “The Grove”. I learned that this specific area was founded in the 1880s (who knew?) and is Miami’s oldest inhabited neighborhood! Super cool history! Of course, my curiosity was piqued, so I had to look for a little more info before I could move on. It is located south of downtown and along the Biscayne Bay Waterfront. It’s known for its artsy vibe and hints of sailing culture.

In case you are wondering what in the world MiMo is, that is the Miami Modern Historic District. This area has post-World War II architecture that is unique to Miami (it’s a blend of mid-century modern with a tropical flair). You can find this area on the upper east side along Biscayne Boulevard.

Use Public Transit

OK, so I’m going to one up this and say-WALK! We arrived on a Monday and left on Friday via chartered bus and walked everywhere. Hungry? We walked. Bored? We walked and people watched. Want exercise? We walked and took in the views. Cost? Zero!

Favor Casual Dining or Neighborhood Gems

This is the model we used for the entire trip. If I’m honest, I generally favor local finds across the board. I think we did find a few neighborhood gems this trip, which was super cool!

Take Advantage of Deals and Happy Hours
Of course, I always recommend the deals! I can say that we personally caught a happy hour deal at a cute frozen daiquiri bar in the heart of South Miami Beach. Nothing but art deco vibes, hotels, people watching and views galore! I’ll share more of where we went and ate in subsequent blogs :) 
We will definitely cover in an upcoming podcast!