Halloween Costume Budget Calculator
2026 NRF data: 71% of Halloween shoppers plan to buy costumes, totaling $4.4B nationally — background context, not a per-person estimate. Default prices are common reference figures; adjust the sliders to match your actual local costs, since DIY isn't always cheaper (specialty items like wigs or prosthetics can cost more).
Free Halloween costume budget calculator — compare store-bought vs DIY costume costs across everyone you're dressing up, and see how much a mix of DIY saves.
How it works
- Enter how many costumes you're budgeting for
- Set your average store-bought price and DIY materials cost
- Drag the DIY-mix slider to see your blended total and savings vs buying everything store-bought
Frequently asked questions
Where do the default prices come from?
They're common reference prices for store-bought costumes and DIY materials — adjust the sliders to match your actual local prices, since costs vary a lot by costume complexity.
Is DIY always cheaper?
Usually, but not always — costumes needing specialty items (wigs, prosthetics, specific fabrics) can end up costing as much as or more than a store-bought option. Treat this as a ballpark planning tool, not a guarantee.
Is this the same as the candy budget calculator?
No — that tool covers Halloween candy weight and pricing only. This one is specifically for costume spending across everyone you're buying or making costumes for.
Related tools
From the blog
Update history
- 2026-09-28 Launched: store-bought vs DIY costume cost comparison with an adjustable DIY-mix slider and savings display. Entirely client-side.