The average couple spends about $1,800 on the pair — $1,200 for hers, $600 for his, per The Knot (Zola's women's average runs ~$1,400) — with a national range from about $100 to $5,000+. The metal does most of the pricing: tungsten $50-$200, titanium $70-$250, 14K gold $500-$2,000, platinum $1,500-$3,000+. Here's the full price grid and the adders that stack on top.
The Knot's pricing data puts women's bands at a $1,200 average and men's at $600, so the ceremony pair lands near $1,800 before adders. That average sits inside the 14K-gold row of the price grid because 14K is the default metal for most bands sold — the hers-versus-his gap is explained by diamonds, not by the gold itself. In budget terms, The Knot's "wedding rings" category runs about 5% of the average $34,200 wedding, or roughly $1,710, which matches the pair average within rounding.
Zola's numbers run slightly higher for women's bands (~$1,400) and about even for men's (~$600), with an overall $100-to-$5,000 range. Read the two together and the honest summary is: most pairs land between $500 and $2,500, and anything past $3,000 is a metal-or-stones decision, not a market price.
| Metal | Low | Typical | High | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silicone | $15 | $25 | $40 | A backup, not the only ring |
| Tungsten carbide | $50 | $100 | $200 | Can't be resized; can crack |
| Titanium | $70 | $150 | $250 | Can't be resized |
| Sterling silver | $60 | $120 | $250 | Tarnishes without care |
| 10K gold | $300 | $500 | $800 | Palest color of the golds |
| 14K gold | $500 | $900 | $2,000 | The standard — few regrets |
| 18K gold | $800 | $1,400 | $2,500 | Softer; scratches faster |
| Platinum | $1,500 | $2,000 | $3,000+ | Resizing costs more too |
Two practical notes the grid can't show. Tungsten and titanium can't be resized — if the finger changes, you reorder, which some warranties cover and others don't. And platinum's density is why it both costs more upfront and more to resize: the jeweler is moving more metal.
The engraving line deserves one flag: tungsten and titanium are too hard for traditional engraving wheels and need laser work instead, which some shops upcharge. If the inscription matters, ask before you pick the metal.
Metal for each ring, stones, engraving, and resizing — low, typical, and high, per band and combined.
Open the Wedding Bands Cost Calculator →Nothing in tradition translates cleanly to a band budget — the two-to-three-months-salary "rule" was engagement-ring marketing, never a band convention. What actually works is sizing the line to the rest of the wedding: if you're planning around the wedding budget calculator's national-average $34,200, the rings category carries about 5%, or $1,710. A classic pairing — her 14K gold ($900 typical), his tungsten ($100), both engraved ($80) — comes to $1,080 and stays comfortably under the line. The statement pairing — both platinum, diamonds on hers, one paid resize — runs $4,850 typical and either re-justifies itself every time you look at your hand or doesn't.
If the engagement ring is still ahead of the bands in your budget, the engagement ring budget calculator sizes the bigger purchase first; bands average just under 40% of what couples spend on the ring itself ($4,600 per The Knot's latest study data).
Mixed metals, not matched. There's no rule the pair must match — her 14K gold with his tungsten is the $1,080 classic above, and the two metals age into their own stories.
Skip the stone row on one band. A plain 14K band is the same $500-$2,000 for either partner; the average only climbs to $1,200 because of accents. Decide together whether the accent row or the honeymoon fund wins.
Buy the resize window, not the plan. Most retailers cover the first resize within 30 days to a year. Size honestly at purchase (jewelers will measure for free), and a paid resize becomes a $60 exception instead of a warranty line item.
The average couple spends about $1,800 on the pair — $1,200 for the bride's band and $600 for the groom's, per The Knot. Zola's averages run slightly higher for women's bands at about $1,400. The national range runs from roughly $100 for two basic alternative-metal bands to $5,000+ for matching platinum with diamonds.
There's no rule that translates cleanly to bands — the old two-to-three-months-salary idea was an engagement-ring marketing convention, not a band budget. Most couples land between $500 and $2,500 for the pair, which covers 14K gold for her and tungsten, titanium, or gold for him. Budget what the metal and wearability demand, then protect the rest of the wedding budget.
Tradition assigns each partner (or each partner's family) the cost of the other's band, so the exchange itself is a gift. Modern practice is simpler: many couples treat both bands as a joint line in the wedding budget, and The Knot's 'wedding rings' category — about 5% of the average wedding, roughly $1,710 — is tracked that way.
Diamonds, mostly. A plain women's 14K gold band costs the same $500-$2,000 as a men's; adding a diamond or gemstone row typically adds $300-$2,000, and eternity settings sit at the top. Women's bands also tend to be narrower and lighter, which slightly offsets the stone adder in metal weight.
For the price, yes — $50-$250 for a scratch-resistant band that shrugs off daily wear. Two caveats: neither can be resized (you reorder instead), and tungsten can crack under a sharp blow even though it never scratches. Many buyers in trades or gyms pair one with a $25 silicone band as the everyday stand-in.