World Cup transportation costs are set to soar across the US, with some train tickets rising to $150 — where the worst (and best) fares will be

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Dallas
• Houston
• Kansas City
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York/New Jersey
• Philadelphia
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Seattle

And while soccer fans might fixate on the cost of tickets and possibly lodging expenses for out-of-towners, some may be missing a potentially surprising expense: in-city transportation. That's because, in a patchwork of transit plans, different cities are handling their transportation fares in different ways, with costs varying wildly city to city.

While some municipalities have sought to keep public transportation costs the same, others are increasing fares to help offset the operational costs of moving thousands of fans to and from matches.

That's because an influx of up to 10 million visitors are expected in the host cities (1).

Why transit costs are going up during FIFA World Cup

Transit fares are going up in part because of the increased costs associated with an influx of visitors to the host cities. These increases are an attempt to help offset increased demand for transit services to help transport thousands of fans to matches and back.

"It's the state transit authority that is absorbing the cost — extra trains, extra personnel," said professor emeritus in Syracuse University's sports-management program Dennis Deninger (2).

Additionally, even during non-World Cup time, commuter fares aren't enough to fully pay for public transit systems. As a result, local and state taxpayers help offset additional costs.

FIFA, the governing body of international soccer that organizes the World Cup, is similarly not contractually required to cover the increased expenses associated with higher demand for transit services in host cities.

To avoid dumping the additional costs on taxpayers, some cities are therefore raising transit fare prices.

Where transit fares are highest

At the time of publication, New York and New Jersey will see the highest fares.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill recently posted her explanation on X, saying (3), "We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup. And while NJ TRANSIT is stuck with a $48 million bill to safely get fans to and from games, FIFA is making $11 billion. I'm not going to stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come. FIFA should pay for the rides. But if they don't — I'm not going to let New Jersey get taken for one."

Kris Kolluri, New Jersey Transit President said the costs for extra security, signs, labor and repairs will be passed on to World Cup fans (4). He said, "New Jersey commuters cannot and will not subsidize the movement of fans going to the game because that would not be fair."

In that city, train fares are going up from $26 to $150, making it the costliest for fans thus far.

Explaining the costs, Kolluri said "In order to move 40,000 people and to pay for the cost of $6 million, we have to charge $150."

For its part, FIFA responded that "We are quite surprised by the NJ Governor's approach today on fan transportation (5)." The statement went on to explain that, when the agreement was originally signed in 2018, it stipulated transportation would be free for fans to all matches. That agreement was revised in 2023, "recognizing the financial strain this placed on the host cities."

The new agreement nevertheless went on to stipulate that "Ticket holders and accredited individuals shall be able to access transport (public or additionally planned transport) at cost to allow travel to Stadiums on match days."

It similarly pointed out that there doesn't appear to be a precedent for organizers paying for fan transportation to events held at NYNJ Stadium — whether for major sports or global concert tours.

Whatever the reason, fans will foot the bill: Deninger said, "Nothing about what they are doing seems fan-friendly …. It's going to cost you a lot of money to get to the stadium in some places — $600 for a family of four."

There will also be an $80 shuttle bus to help move fans to and from matches.

Boston also falls on the costlier end of this spectrum. While it will run trains from South Station to its Gillette Stadium (as it does on gamedays for NFL's New England Patriots), it will be about four times more expensive at $80 for a round-trip ticket. A local bus with more than 20 pickup stops will similarly run fans $95 (6).

Where fares are lowest

By contrast, Philadelphia is managing to keep fares consistent with regular pricing throughout the World Cup at $2.90 to get to the match. Public transit home from matches at the Lincoln Financial Field on the state's Septa system (operator of local buses, subways and trains) will be free.

The transit authority isn't passing any additional costs to commuters because city officials managed to secure a partnership with Airbnb — one of the official World Cup sponsors. While Airbnb has other deals with host cities, none of those are focused on transportation the way they are in Philadelphia.