The 5 Most Expensive Stadiums in the US
by Richard Janvrin,
April 07, 2026
Professional sports stadiums are not only the place our favorite teams call home, but they’re also landmarks where we create memories. We’ve been in the stands for big moments, and we reflect on them as core life memories.
As time passes, stadiums age, wither, and become outdated, prompting plans for a new stadium to create new memories and ensure the next generation of fans knows it as the home of their favourite franchise.
Building a new stadium, though, comes with massive costs in the billions of dollars. Below, I’ll examine not only the most expensive stadium in the US, but also several more of the most expensive sports stadiums ever built across the globe.
Note: This will include stadiums that have been physically built. Other planned stadiums will have higher costs, but they have yet to be built, such as a few in the NFL.
SoFi Stadium
SoFi Stadium, the most expensive stadium in the world, opened in September 2020 and has a capacity of more than 70,000 people. This stadium is home to the NFL franchises,s the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s also hosted other massive events, such as the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, WrestleMania 39, and more.
The stadium cost a staggering $5.5 billion to build, including the NFL raising the debt limit as costs approached $5 billion; NFL owners also approved an additional $500 million to build it.
SoFi Stadium was designed by HKS, and the complex includes the stadium, a pedestrian plaza, and a YouTube theater. It also has a massive translucent canopy made up of ETFE panels with LED lighting.
This stadium has it all. If California had legal sports betting, there’d probably be a hub for using the best mobile betting apps to wager on games, too.
Believe it or not, the stadium was built privately, but the developer did seek tax breaks. The estimated cost was $2.66 billion, but as you can see, it continued to climb.
The stadium will also host Super Bowl 61 on February 14, 2027.
This is not only the most expensive stadium in the US, oh no.
SoFi Stadium is the most expensive venue in the world, and it’s not even remotely close. SoFi will remain atop the list of most expensive sports stadiums for years to come.
Yankee Stadium
Coming in at $2.3 billion, believe it or not, is a stadium that broke ground in 2006 and didn’t open until April 2009, and that’s Yankee Stadium. It’s tied with the Las Vegas Sphere as the second most expensive venue in the world.
While this was a new stadium, the goal was to retain as much of the old stadium feel as possible while becoming more modern. There were similar materials and design elements. The new stadium did include more luxury seating, larger seats, more legroom, and a completely overhauled seating layout in the lower bowl.
Some of the things that were designed to feel similar were the frieze that lined the roof and Monument Park, which pays homage to the retired numbers and plaques of longtime, legendary Yankee greats.
Other similarities included the field dimensions—everything except the backstop and the fence in right field is the same. The backstop is now 52 feet, 4 inches, as opposed to 72 feet, 4 inches. The wall in right field is now 8 feet as opposed to 10 feet, making it slightly more hitter-friendly.
Throughout the stadium are over 1,100 HD monitors, a large, high-definition center field scoreboard, a larger player clubhouse, modern training areas, and more.
New Highmark Stadium
The conclusion of the 2025-26 NFL season wasn’t just another season for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills; it marked the end of their time in the current/old Highmark Stadium, which stood for more than five decades.
Now, the stadium is nearly complete, and the Bills will be playing inside their new home at the start of the 2026-27 NFL preseason.
The cost of this stadium was somewhere between $2.1 and $2.2 billion. It included $850 million in public funding, with $600 million coming from the state and $250 million from the county.
The first planned event in the stadium is the Bills’ Red and Blue training camp practice.
It’ll hold up to 62,000 fans, which is nearly 10,000 fewer than the old stadium, but the design is meant to accommodate better sightlines and premium seating.
Although the stadium is in Buffalo, New York, a place notorious for heavy snowfall and cold conditions, it won’t have a dome. It’ll have a partial canopy, but not a full-on dome.
That said, it will have a heated field that’s meant to stay in the low 60s to prevent freezing and melt snow.
The old Highmark Stadium will be demolished in March 2027.
Allegiant Stadium
Commonly referred to as the “Death Star” of the NFL, Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, cost nearly $2 billion to build.
The domed facility seats about 65,000 people and is located right near Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
The stadium has windows with a view of the Vegas skyline. Construction began in 2017 and finished ahead of the 2020-21 NFL season.
Here are some of the costs associated with one of the most expensive stadiums.
- Raiders owner Mark Davis paid $350 million in relocation fees.
- Of the $1.9 billion, $750 million was paid for by taxpayers.
- The Raiders raised $400 million through the sale of personal seat licenses, allowing specific people to buy season tickets for specific seats.
Also, here are some other stats about the stadium:
- 28,000 tons of structural steel
- 44 escalators
- 2,300 TVs inside
- 92-foot Al Davis memorial torch
- 75,000 square feet of video boards
- 95,000 square feet of field event space
- More than 10 event spaces
- 100 yards of turf
- 425 trees planted
- Weighs 19 million pounds
MetLife Stadium
Home to the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants, MetLife Stadium is actually located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It broke ground in September 2007 and opened on April 10, 2010. So, despite being about two decades old, it’s on the list of the “most expensive stadium in the US.”
One of the most expensive venues in the world, this stadium cost $1.6 billion to build, and companies such as 360 Architecture, EwingCole, Rockwell Group, and Bruce Mau Design, Inc. were behind the design.
It’s the largest NFL stadium, with a capacity of 82,500 fans. The record attendance was 93,000, but it wasn’t for a football game.
A more modern stadium, MetLife Stadium, can quickly shift branding for the Jets and Giants. It also has updated turf that’s meant to help prevent injuries.
In addition to premium seating and suites, there are multiple locker rooms and large HD displays, and it doesn’t have a roof.
It does have a Solar Ring, which generates energy for the stadium, and it was designed to meet the requirements to host the 2026 World Cup.