Continuing my series on how to experience expensive cities for cheap, I headed to the land of nightclubs and beaches: Miami. While it’s not quite on par with Sydney or London, Miami is certainly one of the more expensive cities in the United States, particularly when it comes to accommodation and parking. If you can at all avoid driving, I highly recommend it!
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The Free Things to Do in Miami
The Outdoors
Beaches are the majority of the reason people visit Miami, particularly for it’s most famous South Beach. It costs you nothing to lay out all day, although you may want to bring your own umbrella and snacks.
Activities
Wandering around Miami’s unique neighborhoods like Wynwood or Little Havana will cost you nothing. The Wynwood Walls, the best place to spot street art in the city, is free to explore. Also check out their monthly art walks. The Wolfsonian Art Museum is free to visit on Friday nights from 6-9 pm and the Lowe Museum of Art is free on the first Tuesday of every month.
There’s also Yoga on the Beach daily at 3rd Street, which is free, but donations are appreciated. Deals like these differ every week, so follow sites like Miami on the Cheap for what’s happening while you’re there.
The Cheap Things to Do in Miami
Museums and Activities
Museums like Villa Vizcaya are pretty steep any way you look at it, but I would say well worth a splurge. If you’re not up for spending that kind of money, a very “Miami” thing to do is to attend a game for one of the city’s many sports teams.
The Miami Dolphins football, Miami Marlins baseball, and University of Miami all have heavily discounted tickets for many games. Seek out your hostel for cheap trips to the Everglades and book a tour of neighborhoods like Little Havana and Wynwood.
Accommodation
In the land of designer hotels like The Gansevoort and The Fontainebleau, the hostels can match in terms of style. I stayed at The Freehand in Miami Beach, which had a pool, bar and restaurant and a courtyard. I saw lots of others like HI Miami Beach.
Transportation
Walking is the easiest way to get around, as most things you’ll want to see are in Miami Beach. There’s also rental bikes from DecoBike all over town, which you can rent one way for an hour or even the whole day for around $5. If you’re tempted to venture out more, the bus is cheap and easy to use. And of course, if you’re really desperate, you can drive your car, but don’t be surprised if you can’t find somewhere to park upon your return.
Eating and Drinking
If you’re interested in dining at one of the city’s top restaurants like Yardbird or NAOE, I recommend going during lunch when prices are lower and you’re more likely to get a reservation.
If you decide to go out for dinner, search sites like OpenTable for last-minute openings. The city’s cultural neighborhoods, namely Little Havana, offer large portions for a small price tag. Be sure to look out for food trucks, which are all over town.
Drinking gets expensive, so BYO when possible. Also take advantage of the many happy hour specials. Nightclubs can get particularly hefty when you factor in entrance fees and $10 drinks, so do some research ahead of time to get the best deal.
Shopping
Bal Harbour and Miracle Mile may have the big-name designers, but on a budget, seek out the outlet malls. There’s often a negative connotation to them, but I’ve found some fantastic deals there.
Thanks for the tips. I didn’t realise that the baseball team were now called the Miami Marlins. I remember seeing them play in Atlanta a few years ago as the Florida Marlins, or do they just interchange their name?
Headed there at the end of the month – will keep these in mind!
so useful in today’s world! thanks for sharing, and looking forward to reading up on more cities!