How much is a lap dance?

Lap dance prices at US clubs that publish them

A lap dance at a US strip club costs $5 to $50 per song, going by the clubs that post their prices online. Most clubs don’t publish a rate card at all, so the list is short. Every price below comes from the club’s own website, read in September 2026.

The cheapest dances are in Atlanta and South Florida. The priciest single dances are in Seattle, where both clubs charge $50. Clubs change prices without notice, so use this as a guide and ask before the song starts.

Table dance, lap dance or VIP dance: what’s the difference in price?

A table dance is the cheapest option. At the clubs that list both, a private dance costs about double or a little more. The names change from club to club, but most clubs sell three tiers:

Two club blogs give wider industry ranges. Rick’s Cabaret Minneapolis puts table dances at $5 to $20 and private dances at $20 to $40. Cheetah’s blog puts Palm Beach area lap dances at $20 to $40 per song. Those are each club’s description of the market, not its own rate card.

Champagne rooms are a separate product with their own pricing, minimums and fine print. Our champagne room guide covers them.

How long is one lap dance?

One lap dance lasts one song. The DJ picks the music, so the song is the unit you pay for, usually around three minutes. Some clubs play shorter edits. A Las Vegas booking site says songs at Little Darlings are trimmed to about two minutes.

Past a few songs, clubs switch to selling time. Here is how published per-song and per-minute prices line up:

Do the math before you choose. At Oz, three single dances cost $120, the same as the 15-minute room. If you want more than three or four songs with one dancer, a timed room is often cheaper per minute. For one or two songs, pay per song.

How much is a lap dance in Las Vegas?

In Las Vegas a standard lap dance costs about $20 to $50 per song, but none of the big clubs we checked publishes its own per-song price. The best figure comes from Scores Las Vegas. Its blog puts the range at $20 to $30 per song at smaller clubs and $40 to $50 at high-end clubs (March 2025). That’s the club describing the market, not its own rate card.

Promoter sites fill in the gaps. Treat them with care, because they sell packages:

• WYNLV calls $20 the industry standard for a table dance and $40 per song for a private VIP dance. It says many dancers offer three for $100.
• Two booking sites list Little Darlings, the 18+ fully nude club behind Circus Circus, at $20 for a couch dance, $250 for 30 minutes of private VIP time and $400 for an hour. See our Little Darlings review.

The one Vegas club that posts a timed price is Deja Vu Showgirls: $150 for 15 minutes of VIP time, $330 for 30 minutes and $600 for an hour.

Why so few rate cards? WYNLV’s answer is that dancers are independent contractors, so the price “depends.” In Vegas, expect to agree the price with the dancer. For which clubs are worth the trip, see the best strip clubs in Las Vegas.

Lap dance prices in Miami and Atlanta

Miami and Atlanta have the lowest published prices on our list, with floor dances at $5 to $10.

In Miami, Bella’s Cabaret near the airport lists $10 table dances and $25 lap dances, plus a two-drink minimum. Sexxy Lady Cabaret lists $10 floor dances and $20 VIP room dances. Tootsie’s, E11EVEN and most of the big Miami rooms don’t publish dance prices. The best strip clubs in Miami list covers them all.

In Atlanta, Magic City lists table dances at $10 per song and Blue Flame Lounge at $5. The Cheetah in Midtown doesn’t publish dance prices, so ask before you agree to one. See the best strip clubs in Atlanta for the rest.

Why do lap dance prices vary so much?

Lap dance prices vary mostly by city, by club tier and by how private the dance is. The published prices show a few patterns:

• City. Atlanta and South Florida clubs post $5 to $25 dances. Both Seattle clubs charge $50.
• Club tier. Scores Las Vegas puts high-end Vegas clubs at $40 to $50 a song, against $20 to $30 at smaller ones.
• Privacy. Every club that lists both prices charges more for a private dance than for a table dance.
• The dancer and the hour. Scores names the dancer and the time of day or week as things that move the price. That matters most where the club doesn’t post a rate.

Where a club does post a price, the house sets it. In a 2011 federal case over Club Onyx in Atlanta, the court record noted that the club set the prices for tableside dances.

How does buying a lap dance work?

A dancer will usually come to your table and ask if you’d like a dance. You can also ask a dancer yourself. From there:

1. Ask the price per song and whether it’s a table dance or a private dance. Where the club posts prices, you pay the posted rate.
2. Agree how many songs, or how many minutes for VIP time. Count the songs as they play.
3. Ask how to pay. Cash is standard. If you’re using a card or house scrip, ask about the fee first.
4. Follow the house rules. Spearmint Rhino in Las Vegas says “Look, don’t touch” and removes guests who break the rule. Bucks Clubs and Cheetah ban photos.
5. Tip if you enjoyed it. The tip is separate from the dance price.

Our strip club etiquette guide covers the rules in more detail. How strip clubs work walks through a first visit from the door onward.

Where does the lap dance money go?

The dancer usually keeps the dance fee and pays the club a fee to work. In a 2013 federal ruling against Rick’s Cabaret in New York, dancers got “performance fees” from customers, typically $20 per lap dance, and paid the club nightly fees. The court treated them as employees. How strip clubs work explains house fees and the rest of the business model.

Should you tip on top of a lap dance?

Yes. A tip is expected on top of the dance price. Scores Las Vegas suggests $5 to $10 per lap dance. The Condor Club in San Francisco says $20 or more for private shows. Spearmint Rhino in Las Vegas is blunter: “Cash is king! Tip generously during stage performances and for private dances.”

Stage tips are separate, usually at least $1 per song per dancer on stage. The etiquette guide covers who else to tip.

Paying for dances by card, ATM or “dance dollars”

Paying by card usually costs more than paying cash. Published examples:

• Magic City in Atlanta publishes a 10% surcharge on credit-card cash advances.
• Rick’s Cabaret Minneapolis warns that ATM withdrawals can cost up to $10.
• Some clubs sell house scrip (“dance dollars” or “funny money”) on a card. When Slate tested it in New York in 2012, one Dance Dollar cost $23 and bought a dance priced at $20 in cash. That’s a 15% premium, with a minimum of three ($69). The figures are old, but clubs still use the system.

Some clubs take cards directly. Cheetah in Pompano Beach and West Palm Beach accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. Showgirls Seattle takes all major cards. Either way, ask about the fee before you pay. For full budgets, see how much money to bring to a strip club.

Have lap dance prices gone up?

Barely. Dancers interviewed by MEL Magazine said the standard $20 to $30 lap dance hasn’t changed since at least 1990. One Los Angeles dancer told MEL that if you ask a customer for more than $20, “they’ll look at you like you have two heads.” The 2013 Rick’s Cabaret case recorded the same $20 figure in New York. Published 2026 prices still mostly sit in that band. Seattle’s $50 dances are the clear exception.

Before you agree to a dance

• Ask the price per song, and confirm whether it’s a table dance or a private dance.
• Count the songs, or agree a time and watch the clock.
• For more than four songs, compare the price of a timed room.
• Ask what paying by card or with scrip will cost.
• Budget a tip on top of the dance price.
• Read the club’s house rules before the first song.