Comic-Con's big price tag: How much does it really cost to get in on the action?

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) Comic-Con comes with a pretty big price tag, from hotel fees and parking to food and costumes.I wanted to find out how much it really costs to get in on the action.I polled the crowd on how much money they had spent on Comic-Con so far."And my wife isn't here, right?" asked one attendee.Some comic book characters said they kept costs manageable."Actually, not that much, not that much. It's under 500," said one attendee.Locals were quick to flaunt their savings."How much money have you spent at Comic-Con so far?""$0. I live here."For those who dressed up, costumes alone drove up the bill."The wig itself was like $100," said one attendee."$800 to $1,000 altogether," said another.Attendees are also pouring money back into the local economy."The vendors are really expensive, so probably a good at least $100 just browsing around out here in between water, ice cream, hot dogs, and all that fun stuff," said one attendee.Local businesses say leaning into the entertainment helps them get the most out of the major crowds.Anna Heydari, manager at The Blind Burro, said, "Summertime is really when we thrive with baseball conventions and especially Comic-Con.

It really helps us as the business."More than $160 million is expected to be generated from the con.Heydari said the event's impact goes beyond the bottom line."The best effect I see is on our staff. It's just fun for us to participate in Comic-Con the way the patrons are participating in Comic-Con. We get to dress up, we get to have a little fun with it."Whether people spent zero dollars or thousands, they told me that they pretty much have the same sentiment they're coming back next year.