Nightlife Inflation: The Cost of Going Out Is Going Up

Surging prices are taking a toll on a night on the town. “I remember just going ‘yikes’ when signing off on a nearly $80 bill,” a bar patron said.

On a crowded Saturday night at Pieces, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, Gregory Keller and three friends claimed a spot on the floor shortly before the drag performer Jasmine Kennedie took the stage. One of Mr. Keller’s friends bought the first round, another got the second, and then it was his turn. After a few failed attempts at flagging down a bartender, he ordered four vodka sodas.

All in all, it was a great night out, except for the cost.

“I remember just going ‘yikes’ when signing off on a nearly $80 bill,” Mr. Keller, a 25-year-old architectural designer, said.