After being released in 1990, the festive classic Home Alone quickly became synonymous with Christmas. And just two years later us cult movie fans were delighted once again with Home Alone 2. The franchise is known not only for engulfing everyone in the Christmas spirit, but also for its cheeky protagonist Kevin who found himself on quite the NYC adventure in the film’s sequel.
In Home Alone 2 Kevin goes on a journey around NYC–a journey that today, with NYC being crowned the most expensive city in the country, would have put a much bigger dent in the McCallister family’s wealth than it did back in the 90s.
And this study found just how much bigger that dent would be!
Experts at NoDepositDaily analyzed every detail of Kevin’s stay in New York City, from the cost of a night’s stay in The Plaza Hotel to the price of a stretch limo for four hours. They then used the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator to compare the cost of the varying factors in both 1992 and 2023.
What they found was that if Kevin were to take the same lavish trip today that he took in 1992, the trip’s cost would have more than doubled over the last 30 years.
The trip cost all begins with a flight from Chicago to JFK. What would have cost $103.97 in 1992 would more than double, costing $236.24 today. Even worse, a yellow cab ride from JFK to Midtown today would cost $100, $75 more than it would have in 1992.
Then there’s Kevin’s iconically bougie taste in hotels. The study writes:
The resourceful 10-year-old has expensive taste when it comes to his choice of holiday accommodation, with this easily being his most expensive vacation habit. Based on prices from The Plaza’s website, Kevin is estimated to have racked up an overwhelming $25,042.62 bill on luxury suites at the hotel in 1992, which equates to $72,649.75 in 2023. The figures are based on a one-night stay in The Plaza’s Carnegie Partial Park View suite: one of the hotel’s most luxurious king size bed suites, with a separate living room and spacious bathroom which comes in at $4,579.00 in 2023 and $2,111.87 in 1992.
Plus, Kevin spent an amusingly hefty $967.43 on room service, which would have equated to $2,184.42 today.
And let’s not forget about the private stretch limo. Luckily for Kevin the limo was taken care of by The Plaza, saving him the $336.22. Today, a four-hour limo ride around NYC would put a $729 dent in your wallet.
Beyond the traveling and accommodations, Kevin spent $23.75 on a toy from Duncan’s Toy Chest ($51.50 today), enjoyed the views from the World Trade Center’s observation deck for $5.50 ($38 today), and spent $7.55 on two 6-packs of fireworks from a store in Chinatown ($16.37 today).
However, Kevin did what seems to be the impossible and enjoyed some things around NYC without spending a dime, namely checking out the dazzling Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
Overall, the grand total of Kevin’s trip in 1992 would have been approximately $26,437.50. The same trip taken in December 2023 would cost around $55,432.91, a whopping $28,995.41 more.
Mervyn Davids from NoDepositDaily commented on the findings, saying:
The classic Christmas movies that stand the test of time are those that are able to create an abundance of magic, fun, and wonder, to the extent that viewers want to immerse themselves in that world; Home Alone 2 does exactly this. However, for the true die-hard fans of the franchise…acting out each element of the movie may be required to satisfy their dreams, but with this comes a hefty bill. In today’s economic climate, perhaps sticking to a large cheese pizza whilst watching Home Alone 2 from the comfort of your sofa creates all the festive cheer a person could need.