# Per-person cost guide

**Trip:** Thursday, August 27–Monday, August 31, 2026  
**Group:** six adults  
**Prices checked:** August 24–26, 2026  

This is the common cost reference for [the itinerary](itinerary.md), [the idea pool](ideas.md), and [the reservation checklist](reservations.md). All amounts are **per person** unless a total is explicitly identified.

## How to read the numbers

- **Exact** means a current published ticket or menu price.
- **Estimated all-in** restaurant ranges include San Francisco sales tax and roughly 20% gratuity for table service. Counter-service estimates include tax but do not assume a full-service tip.
- Alcohol is excluded unless the description says a drink is included. For most restaurants, add roughly **$18–$30 per cocktail after tax and tip**.
- Rideshare and robotaxi fares are dynamic. The estimates assume the stated number of people splits the fare evenly and should be rechecked in the app before ordering.
- Shopping is intentionally excluded from trip totals because Target, thrift, Magic cards, POP MART, and Nintendo purchases can vary enormously.

## Quick budget by day

| Day | Core plan per person | What changes the number |
|---|---:|---|
| Thursday, for Alexis/Colton/Iru | **$30–$85** | SFORNO street pizza plus one drinks choice: walk to Absinthe or ride to Charmaine's; do not stack both. |
| Friday | **$80–$175** | Arsicault, Plow, or Hedge; SFMOMA; Naadam; transit; and light lunch. Target purchases are extra. |
| Saturday, nonresident visitor | **$165–$310** | Includes Muir Woods, group rides including Waymo, Sausalito lunch, Tea Garden, and dinner. Z & Y is the lower birthday option; Empress is the upper option. Shopping is extra. |
| Saturday, SF resident | **$147–$292** | Same plan including Waymo, but Japanese Tea Garden admission is free with proof of residency. |
| Sunday with Pampanito + Z & Y | **$170–$258** | Z & Y is the seated group dinner; SFORNO can lower the total if the group deliberately chooses the casual takeout backup. Musée Mécanique also lowers the total, while a Twin Peaks ride or skyline cocktail raises it. |
| Monday airport ride | **Alexis + Christa: $0 guest cost**; **Marshal + Bri: about $18–$30 each** | Colton drives Alexis and Christa together after charging Sunday; Marshal and Bri split an Uber from Hotel Spero. |

Before flights, hotel, alcohol, and shopping, budget approximately **$445–$800 for Alexis**, **$415–$715 for Christa**, and **$435–$745 each for Marshal and Bri**. Colton and Iru avoid the visitor Tea Garden and airport-ride costs. These are planning ranges, not quotes.

## Meals, cafés, and bars

| Option | Per-person range | Typical budget | Basis |
|---|---:|---:|---|
| SFORNO Pizzeria Napoletana | **About $9.50–$14** | **$14** | One Pizza Portafoglio is about $9.50; an Italian soda is $4.50. This is the street-pizza budget, not a full-size pie. |
| Absinthe Brasserie & Bar | **$12–$18 for one drink** | **$18** | Current nonalcoholic cocktails are $12 and cocktails are $18; it is the walkable after-SFORNO choice. |
| Charmaine's rooftop | **$50 minimum** | **$50+** | Current evening reservations require a $50-per-person food-and-beverage minimum for parties of three or more; transportation is separate. |
| Arrival-night takeout | **$20–$35** | **$28** | Flexible neighborhood-food budget. |
| Hedge Coffee | **$5–$10** | **$8** | Relaxed Friday coffee backup when sitting awhile matters more than pastries or a full breakfast. |
| Arsicault Mission Bay | **$10–$14** | **$12** | Pastry-first Friday recommendation with Alexis; current pastry and drip-coffee prices fit this range. |
| Philz | **$5–$10** | **$8** | Pre-order or delivery on Saturday and Sunday mornings. |
| Breakfast Little | **$15–$22** | **$18** | Breakfast burrito plus coffee; estimated from current ordering range. |
| Tartine Bakery | **$14–$23** | **$18** | Current menu: pastries about $5.95–$7.75, egg sandwich $13.25, coffee about $4.75–$6.95. |
| Light Friday lunch | **$15–$25** | **$20** | Quick counter-service meal after the airport run. |
| Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory | **$0 to visit; $5–$10 for cookies/souvenirs** | **$5** | No attraction ticket. |
| Naadam | **$25–$35 all-in** | **$30** | Current mains are $16.99–$22.99; range allows a drink or shared dumplings. |
| Z & Y | **$55–$75 all-in** | **$65** | Six-person family-style dinner with several shared dishes and rice; alcohol extra. |
| Sausalito waterfront lunch | **$30–$50 all-in** | **$40** | Casual sit-down lunch; waterfront seafood or cocktails push toward the top. |
| Japanese Tea Garden Tea House | **$10–$20** | **$15** | Optional tea and a small snack; garden admission is separate. |
| Empress by Boon | **About $160 before drinks** | **$160** | Exact $118 prix fixe plus stated 5% health mandate, 20% service charge, and estimated tax. |
| Chotto Matte | **$100–$150 all-in** | **$125** | Planning average for a shared Nikkei dinner; cocktails can push it higher. |
| Blue Whale | **$75–$105 all-in** | **$90** | Planning average for a shared modern-Chinese dinner; alcohol extra. |
| Boudin at Fisherman's Wharf | **$20–$30** | **$25** | Soup/sandwich or bread-bowl lunch plus a nonalcoholic drink. |
| Andytown Coffee | **$5–$10** | **$8** | Coffee and, at the high end, a small pastry. |
| The View Lounge | **$45–$75 all-in** | **$60** | One cocktail or nonalcoholic drink plus shared plates. A full dinner can reach $75–$100. |
| Bourbon & Branch | **$25–$55 all-in** | **$40** | Roughly one to two cocktails with tax and tip; this is not a dinner replacement. |
| La Taqueria | **$18–$25** | **$22** | Burrito or tacos plus a drink; counter service. |
| Plow | **$25–$40 all-in** | **$32** | Sit-down breakfast with coffee; wait time is a bigger issue than cost. |
| State Bird Provisions | **$110–$160 all-in** | **$135** | Secondary birthday fallback; depends heavily on how many cart-style plates and drinks are ordered. |
| Spruce | **$140–$220 all-in** | **$180** | Secondary fine-dining fallback; alcohol is the largest variable. |
| Nari | **$100–$150 all-in** | **$125** | Secondary Thai birthday fallback; shared dinner, alcohol extra. |

### Birthday-dinner comparison

| Restaurant | Expected cost per person | Six-person planning total | Best reason to choose it |
|---|---:|---:|---|
| Empress by Boon | **≈$160 before drinks** | **≈$960 before drinks** | The fanciest new Chinese experience and the clearest special-occasion choice. |
| Chotto Matte | **$100–$150 all-in** | **$600–$900** | The liveliest rooftop room, cocktails, music, and Nikkei food. |
| Z & Y | **$55–$75 all-in** | **$330–$450** | The food most aligned with Colton's love of Sichuan. It has hot-pot dishes, not cook-at-the-table hot pot. |
| Blue Whale | **$75–$105 all-in** | **$450–$630** | A known excellent fallback that Colton and Iru already trust. |

## Attractions and sightseeing

| Option | Cost per person | Notes |
|---|---:|---|
| Princess Diaries firehouse | **Free** | Exterior sidewalk/photo stop. |
| SFMOMA | **$30 exact** | General adult admission. |
| Transamerica Pyramid exterior | **Free** | Exterior walk-by only. |
| Muir Woods shuttle + admission | **$19 exact** | $4 round-trip Larkspur shuttle plus $15 adult entrance; $114 total for six without a park pass. |
| Muir Woods private-car alternative | **$18.33 each in reservations/admission, plus driving** | Six adults require two vehicles: two $10 standard-vehicle reservations plus six $15 entrances = $110 total. Add bridge tolls, charging/gas, and the need for a second vehicle. |
| Sausalito waterfront walk | **Free** | Food and transportation are separate. |
| Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center | **Free** | Optional quick photo stop. |
| Fort Point | **Free** | No ticket or reservation. |
| Mrs. Doubtfire house | **Free** | Exterior sidewalk/photo stop. |
| Haight-Ashbury walk | **Free** | Thrift purchases are separate. |
| Japanese Tea Garden | **$18 nonresident / $0 SF resident exact** | Timed ticket required; SF residents need proof. Optional Tea House spending is $10–$20. |
| Gamescape / other card shop | **Free to browse** | Magic purchases are variable. A practical discretionary cap is $25, $50, or $100. |
| Alcatraz Day Tour | **$47.95 exact** | Ferry, island access, and Cellhouse audio tour included. |
| Pier 39 sea lions | **Free** | No ticket. |
| USS Pampanito | **$25 at the pier; budget about $27 online** | Choose this for Marshal's submarine branch. |
| Musée Mécanique | **Free admission; $5–$15 for games** | Machines are pay-to-play. |
| SS Jeremiah O'Brien | **$20 exact** | Whole-group alternative to Pampanito. |
| Salesforce Park | **Free** | Andytown purchase is separate. |
| Union Square / Nintendo / POP MART | **Free to browse** | Purchases are variable. |
| Twin Peaks | **Free** | Transportation is separate. |
| Badlands | **Budget $0–$10 cover + $15–$25 per drink** | Cover and event pricing can vary; verify the day of. |
| Mount Tamalpais | **Free to visit** | Parking or rideshare is separate; use only as a major swap. |
| Muir Beach Overlook | **Free** | Transportation/parking is separate. |
| Ocean Beach / Castro walk | **Free** | Food, nightlife, and transportation are separate. |
| Treasure Island skyline stop | **Free** | Vehicle or rideshare cost is separate. |
| USS Hornet | **Budget about $25; verify at checkout** | Alameda half-day swap; transportation across the Bay Bridge is separate. |

## Transportation

| Option or leg | Estimated cost per person | Assumption |
|---|---:|---|
| Short in-city Uber XL | **$7–$13 per leg** | Six people split a dynamic $40–$75 fare. |
| Two ordinary in-city Ubers | **$8–$15 per leg** | Three people in each car; combined fare split by six. |
| Short Waymo ride | **$8–$15 per leg** | Three or four riders split one dynamic fare. |
| Zoox preview | **Free** | Only if someone receives waitlist access. |
| Tesla Robotaxi/Cybercab | **Unknown** | No verifiable public San Francisco booking or fare; do not budget around it. |
| Eddy Street to Larkspur by Uber XL | **$15–$22** | Six people split the long early-morning fare. |
| Larkspur to Sausalito by Uber XL | **$8–$12** | Six-way split. |
| Sausalito to Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center by Uber XL | **$8–$12** | Six-way split; dynamic fare and bridge traffic can change it. |
| Sunday one-day Muni Visitor Passport | **$15 exact** | Includes buses, Muni Metro, historic streetcars, and cable cars. |
| Regular Muni single ride | **$2.85 exact** | Clipper, contactless credit/debit, or MuniMobile; good for 120 minutes. Cash is $3. |
| Regular Muni Day Pass | **$5.70 exact** | Buses, trains, and historic streetcars, but **not** cable cars. |
| Cable-car single ride | **$9 exact** | The $15 passport is better for the planned Sunday loop. |
| Thursday SFO rideshare backup for Alexis | **$45–$70** | Contingency only; the core plan is for Colton to pick her up. |
| Two-person Monday SFO Uber | **About $18–$30 each** | Marshal and Bri split an estimated $35–$60 direct ride from Hotel Spero. |
| Colton's Tesla at a public charging station | **$0 guest cost if Colton covers it; budget $3–$5 each if six people split one session** | Colton cannot charge at home. Budget approximately $15–$30 for the vehicle per useful Supercharger session; the live rate, congestion fees, and recommended limit appear in the Tesla app. Garage fees, parking, and tolls are additional. |

## Shopping and personal spending

These stops are free to enter, so the itinerary labels them **“$0 to browse; purchases variable.”** To prevent shopping from quietly dominating the weekend, each person can choose a personal cap in advance:

- **Target:** $25 / $50 / $100 cap.
- **Haight-Ashbury thrift stores:** $40 / $75 / $150 cap.
- **Magic: The Gathering shop:** $25 / $50 / $100 cap.
- **Nintendo and POP MART:** $25 / $50 / $100 cap.

## What is not included

- Flights and Marshal/Bri's Hotel Spero room.
- Target, thrift, Magic cards, Nintendo, POP MART, and souvenirs.
- Most alcohol.
- Parking tickets or garage fees if the driving plan changes.
- Surge pricing beyond the rideshare ranges.
- Any cancellation, reservation, or special-event fee not shown before checkout.

## Price-check links

- [Empress by Boon menu](https://www.theempresssf.com/menu.html), [Z & Y menu](https://www.zandyrestaurant.com/menu/), and [Naadam menu](https://www.sfnaadam.com/menu)
- [Tartine Guerrero ordering menu](https://guerrero.tartine.menu/) and [Arsicault menus](https://arsicault-bakery.com/menus/)
- [Muir Woods reservations](https://gomuirwoods.com/), [Alcatraz Day Tour](https://alcatrazcitycruises.com/tickets/alcatraz-day-tour/), and [Japanese Tea Garden tickets](https://gggp.org/tickets/)
- [Current SFMTA fares](https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/fares)
- [Tesla charging information and station map](https://www.tesla.com/charge)

Restaurant estimates should be rechecked when reserving because menus, mandatory service charges, and group policies can change. Rideshare estimates should be rechecked in the app at the intended departure time.