This year’s Valentines’ Day gifts could give you sticker shock

Planning a lavish Valentine’s Day? Be prepared for a shock. Romance isn’t as cheap as it was ten years ago. InvestorsObserver compared the most popular gifts and their costs in 2016 and 2026, and found that champagne dropped off the list, while a full celebration now 51% more than in 2016. 

The most popular Valentine’s gifts this year are a greeting card, a box of chocolates, diamond earrings, a dozen roses, and dinner for two, totaling $774.39, $262.36 more than the top gifts of 2016. In 2016, the most popular Valentine’s gifts were a box of chocolates, diamond earrings, a dozen roses, dinner for two, and a bottle of champagne, totaling $512.03.

A bottle of champagne, priced at $51.54 in 2016, has been swapped out for a greeting card averaging $7.19 in 2026. Greeting cards didn’t even make the top five list in 2016. This year it’s the second most popular gift people plan to give.

A box of chocolates has the biggest price jump, more than tripling from $15.11 to $50.70.

The second biggest price jump is dinner for two which more than doubled, rising from $80.46 to $209. A dozen roses followed with an increase of 66%, from $41.66 to $69.13, with diamond earrings from $323.26 to $438.37.

Valentine’s Day purchasing power has decreased compared to salary increases. With this price increase, you may want to opt for a home-cooked meal and a bouquet from a local florist for your loved one.

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