While there are many different survey results showing how much Gen Zers are making, most agree that people in this cohort seem to be earning less than the last few generations when adjusted for inflation. Gen Zers, born between 1997 and 2012, are at the same time beset with more bills than millennials were at the same age, according to GoBankingRates. Rent and debt may be eating away at big chunks of the income they earn, but one hidden fee in the rising cost of living is the equally surging cost of entertainment.
In a July 2025 survey, Self reported that Gen Z entertainment spending averages $157 per month ($1,884 per year). Over half of the respondents spend between $1 and $110 monthly, and another 21.2% spend $51 to $80, with only 4% spending over $700. These figures cover streaming services, music, gaming, and other products and services of a similar nature. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from 2023 backs up this spending number, showing that persons under 25 spend $1,835 a year or $153 a month on average on entertainment. It’s safe to say that if your monthly entertainment expenses exceed $160 per month, you spend more on this category than most Gen Zers.
How subscriptions are driving up entertainment spending for Gen Zers
A 2025 Bango study reported that Gen Z Americans are the most subscribed generation, and they now have to pay for social media subscriptions. The report shows that they pay for 6.8 apps per person and spend $940 per year on them (about $78 per month). If you treat that subscription stack as part of entertainment spending, that’s roughly 50% of a $157 monthly entertainment budget. Meanwhile, a 2025 All About Cookies survey of cord-cutters found the average monthly paid streaming spend to be around $48.13 per month — that’s 31% of the $157.
Entertainment feels more expensive partly because the baseline price keeps creeping up, and partly because corporations make you pay in small recurring charges that are easy to ignore until they stack. These monthly fees can really add up, which is why overspending on subscriptions is one of the main financial habits many Americans want to break in 2026 to beat the affordability crisis. It doesn’t help that major subscription platforms have repeatedly raised prices in the last few years. For example, Netflix raised U.S. plan prices again in January 2025 (Standard with ads to $7.99, Standard to $17.99, Premium to $24.99). Spotify also bumped U.S. Premium pricing for the third time in three years in January 2026, when it moved the Individual plan from $11.99 to $12.99 per month.
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