Data study · 2026
What a wedding plus-one costs in 12 cities
Hiring a platonic plus-one for a wedding ranges from $340 a day in Moscow to $1,380 in New York — a spread of roughly 2.8×. Below are the figures for twelve cities, and the full method behind them.
The numbers
Day rate for a one-day booking, by city
| City | Country | Day rate (USD) | GNI per capita |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | United States | $940 – $1,380 | $88,810 |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | $720 – $1,060 | $62,500 |
| Berlin | Germany | $700 – $1,040 | $60,200 |
| Vienna | Austria | $710 – $1,040 | $60,360 |
| London | United Kingdom | $660 – $970 | $54,550 |
| Dubai | United Arab Emirates | $630 – $930 | $51,550 |
| Paris | France | $610 – $900 | $48,630 |
| Rome | Italy | $560 – $820 | $42,080 |
| Tokyo | Japan | $530 – $770 | $38,340 |
| Madrid | Spain | $520 – $760 | $37,120 |
| Lisbon | Portugal | $460 – $670 | $29,930 |
| Moscow | Russia | $340 – $500 | $15,960 |
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How these figures were calculated
Every number above is derived, not surveyed or hand-set. The largest part of a day rate is one person's working day, so rates are anchored to what a day of someone's time is worth in that market, plus a fixed global component covering screening and coordination.
- Start from national income. World Bank GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$), most recent available year — for most countries 2023–24.
- Convert to an hourly figure by dividing by 2,080 working hours a year, the standard full-time approximation.
- Build the hourly rate as a fixed $25 global service component plus 2× the local hourly figure, capped at $250 an hour so the highest-income markets do not run away.
- Multiply out to a full day of 10 engaged hours, then show a range of 85–125% because real bookings vary.
day rate = min(250, 25 + (GNI ÷ 2080) × 2) × 10
Limitations, stated plainly. GNI per capita is a national figure, so it cannot capture the gap between a capital city and the rest of a country. The model assumes companionship is priced off local labour rather than local luxury spending. And these are indicative figures for comparison, not quotes — see the questions below. Anyone is welcome to reproduce the table from the formula above and the World Bank's published data.
Questions
What people ask about the cost
- How much does a wedding plus-one cost?
- Across the 12 cities in this study a one-day booking runs $340–$1,380. New York is the most expensive at $940–$1,380 a day and Moscow the least at $340–$500, a spread of about 2.8×. Rates track local incomes, because most of the fee is the companion's time.
- Why does the price differ so much between cities?
- Because the largest component is one person's day of work, and pay expectations follow the local economy. A day rate that is fair in Moscow would be far below minimum expectations in New York. Only a fixed global component — screening, vetting and coordination — stays constant everywhere.
- What is included in the day rate?
- The companion's time for one full day and the agency's screening and coordination. Shared costs are separate and agreed in advance: meals, drinks, event tickets, and travel. Bookings start at one full day; there is no hourly option.
- Are these prices quotes?
- No. They are indicative figures derived from public income data to show how rates vary by market. An actual quote depends on the city, the date, the companion, and the specifics of the occasion, and is always confirmed in writing before anything is committed.
Press and researchers: these figures may be reproduced with attribution to Boyfriend Agency. For the underlying numbers or comment, reach us via the contact page.
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