Survey on Dating Expenses: Most Men Budget 3,000-5,000 Yen, Women Under 3,000 Yen; Top Dealbreakers are Women 'Expecting to be Treated' and Men 'Splitting to the Last Yen' (Happy Mail Survey)

Ibec Inc. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture), which operates the dating and romance matchmaking app/service 'Happy Mail' with a cumulative total of 35 million members (*1 as of June 2024), conducted a survey on 'dating expenses' targeting 200 adult men and women.

This survey compiled responses regarding 'regular date budgets', 'special occasion budgets', 'ideal payment methods', and 'dealbreaker behaviors when paying the bill'. This release clarifies the differences in values between men and women regarding dating costs and the behavioral factors that impact their relationships.

1. For regular dates, the most common budget is '3,000 to 5,000 yen' for men and 'under 3,000 yen' for women. When asked about the amount per person for a regular dinner date, the most common answer for men was '3,000 to under 5,000 yen' (58 respondents). On the other hand, the most common answer for women was 'under 3,000 yen' (48 respondents), closely followed by '3,000 to under 5,000 yen' (43 respondents). This suggests that men tend to assume a relatively higher budget, while women emphasize realistic price ranges.

2. The budget for special occasions is '5,000 to 10,000 yen' for both men and women. Regarding the budget per person for special dates such as birthdays, '5,000 to under 10,000 yen' was the most common answer for both genders. Men also frequently answered '10,000 yen or more', showing a tendency to assume higher price ranges than women. It was confirmed that a slightly 'stretched' price range is a common consensus for special days.

3. The ideal payment method: Men prefer to 'pay more', while women prefer an 'equal' split. There was a clear difference between men and women regarding the ideal way to pay for a date. For men, 'the man pays the full amount or more' was the most common answer (57 respondents), while for women, 'an equal relationship such as taking turns paying' was the most common (44 respondents). This result reflects a difference in values: men's desire to take the lead versus women's desire for equality.

4. The female behavior that turns men off the most is 'expecting to be treated' (78 respondents). When men were asked about female behaviors during payment that they find off-putting, 'an attitude of expecting to be treated' was overwhelmingly the most common response with 78 people. This indicates that even if a man is willing to pay, his impression can drop significantly depending on his partner's attitude.

5. The male behavior that turns women off the most is 'splitting the bill down to the last yen' (35 respondents). When women were asked about male behaviors during payment that they find off-putting, 'splitting the bill strictly to the last yen' was the most common response with 35 people. This was followed by 'complaining about the price being too high' and 'an attitude of expecting to be treated', showing that a lack of generosity or consideration leads to negative evaluations.

[Survey Results Summary] This survey revealed that men budget slightly higher for regular dates, while women value realistic price ranges; '5,000 to 10,000 yen' is a common baseline for special days. There are differences in values regarding payment, but a lack of consideration is a common dealbreaker for both. Satisfaction with dating expenses is determined not by the amount itself, but by 'consideration for the partner' and 'the balance of the relationship'.

[Survey Overview] Method: Internet survey Target: 200 adult men and women (100 men, 100 women) Date: April 6, 2026 Survey Entity: Happy Mail (Ibec Inc.)

Happy Mail is a dating matchmaking app with over 25 years of operational history. In 2019, Kayo Noro was appointed as a brand ambassador, and the service surpassed 35 million members in 2024.