Ways to save on baseball and transit<\/p>\n
1. Watch the Padres from Gallagher Square instead of the stands<\/p>\n
The cost of taking a family of four to a Padres game can vary widely. As of this spring, seated tickets to a weekend game start around $25-30<\/a>. The closer you are to the field, the more expensive the tickets get \u2014 up to over $300<\/a> per person for the best seats in the house.<\/p>\n One popular option is Gallagher Square, the lawn and playground area on the north side of Petco Park. There’s no seating, but people can bring blankets or soft seat cushions to sit on. Tickets for that area tend to be cheaper and range from $30 to $65, according to Petco Park Insider<\/a>. The area also hosts games, face paint and other kids\u2019 activities two hours before the first pitch at Sunday games.<\/p>\n Petco Park also offers free admission to children under 36 inches in height, provided they are accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. They must sit in the lap of the accompanying adult and not occupy an additional seat.<\/p>\n 2. Bring your own food to Petco Park<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to spend $8<\/a> on a hot dog, you can bring outside food<\/a> into Padres games as long as it\u2019s wrapped, bagged or inside a container. Sealed, soft-sided plastic water bottles, milk containers and juice boxes are also allowed. Don\u2019t plan to bring in a potluck, though \u2013 any food brought into Petco Park must be for individual consumption.<\/p>\n Pro tip: If you still want that ballpark feel, Costco\u2019s hot dog and soda combo has remained $1.50 since 1985<\/a>, and the Costco closest to the ballpark <\/a>is about four miles away in the Mt. Hope neighborhood. But you have to be a member, and since Petco Park policy says soda can’t come in with you, drink it ahead of time.<\/p>\n 3. Take public transportation<\/p>\n In September, the City of San Diego quadrupled the price of street parking<\/a> near Petco Park during Padres games and other special events. Within a half mile of the park, rates went up from $2.50 per hour to $10 per hour during events that draw 10,000 people or more. Lots near the park charge between $50 and $80<\/a> on game days.<\/p>\n Public transit is a cost-effective alternative. There are two MTS trolley stops<\/a> a block away from Petco Park. The Green Line stops at the Gaslamp Quarter stop, while the Blue and Orange Lines stop at 12th and Imperial. If you\u2019re taking the bus downtown<\/a>, the Rapid 215, 225 and 235 buses stop at City College, where you can get on the Orange or Blue Lines.<\/p>\n Adult fares on the Trolley are $2.50 for one way and $6 for a day pass.<\/p>\n MTS Trolley filled with Padres fans heading to a home game in an undated photo from 2023.<\/p>\n Those who live further north can take the North County Transit District\u2019s Coaster as far as Santa Fe Depot, and then transfer to a trolley line.<\/a> Coaster fares are zone-based. They range from $5.00 (round trip, 1 zone) to $13.00 (round trip, 3 zones) for adults.<\/p>\n Each paying passenger may bring two children under five years-old for free. Public transit is also free for youth 18<\/a> and under if they have a youth PRONTO app or card on all MTS and NCTD routes. There are also reduced fares for people who qualify and purchase tickets as Senior\/Disabled\/Medicare riders.<\/p>\n Fans also have transit options to get to Pechanga Arena to catch a San Diego Gulls hockey game. MTS\u2019 Route 8 <\/a>bus has a stop at the arena along its route between the Balboa Avenue and Old Town Transit stations.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re a San Diego Wave FC and\/or San Diego FC fan who wants to avoid paying $35 to $60<\/a> to park on site at Snapdragon Stadium, there\u2019s a trolley stop there too.<\/p>\n In fact, MTS offers 33% discounted all-season transit passes<\/a> for both soccer teams<\/a>, to and from the stadium.<\/p>\n Soccer tips and family\/kids’ deals<\/p>\n 4. Tips to take advantage of f\u00fatbol fever<\/p>\n Speaking of soccer, the FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to kick off across the U.S., Mexico and Canada this June. While there won\u2019t be any games in San Diego, there will be many just up Interstate 5 in Los Angeles. Most World Cup tickets range from the mid-hundreds<\/a> to thousands of dollars per person<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Pro Tip: Try FIFA Collect<\/a> if you\u2019re bargain hunting for more affordable World Cup tickets and are willing to take a few extra steps and travel.)<\/p>\n But there are cheaper ways to get into the f\u00fatbol fever. Locally, San Diego Wave FC, the women’s soccer team, began playing at Snapdragon Stadium in 2022 and came out of the gates with immediate success. San Diego FC, the men’s soccer team, had a similarly explosive start in their inaugural 2025 season.<\/p>\n Standard Wave tickets this season start around roughly $37<\/a> and SDFC tickets start around $45<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are discounted tickets for those who sit in the dedicated general admission\/supporter section. Note: This is a very loud and in many cases standing-room-only area.<\/p>\n For Wave FC games those tickets start around $26.50<\/a>, and they do offer some seated tickets.<\/p>\n As for SDFC games, you need to be a member of the supporter union to take advantage of the discount. The fee to join is $15<\/a> and you have to agree to a code of conduct. Single game tickets for those seats are listed as low as $35<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both SDFC and Wave FC allow children two years and younger to be admitted for free, but they must sit on a ticket holder\u2019s lap.<\/p>\n Wave FC and SDFC also offer groups of 10 or more special group pricing and exclusive group experiences.<\/p>\n 5. Look out for family and kids\u2019 deals<\/p>\n The San Diego Padres said souvenir cups are eligible for free refills for the entire event on the day it\u2019s sold, but fans are not able to bring cups back into the building for refills for future events.<\/p>\n The team also offers a \u201cPizza Port discounted bundle for a \u2018Little Kids Meal\u2019 (pizza and a choice of nonalcoholic beverage) and a \u2018Big Kids Meal\u2019 (pizza and a beer).\u201d<\/p>\n Some giveaways at Padres games are just for the first 10,000 kids aged 14 and under. This year<\/a>, kids can get a team water bottle on July 12, a keychain on Aug. 23 and a lunchbox on Sept. 20.<\/p>\n The San Diego Gulls offer a family four-pack<\/a> starting at $135. It includes four tickets to certain weekend games, four hot dogs, four bags of chips, four sodas and a parking pass. Otherwise, weekend tickets range from around $35 to $85 depending on the seat.<\/p>\n SDFC held their kids night<\/a> this March with a similar promotion to the Padres\u2019 lunchbox offering.<\/p>\n San Diego Wave FC has previously offered a free kid\u2019s ticket with a paid adult ticket during Kids Free October<\/a>. Officials with the team said they plan to offer that promotion again this October.<\/p>\n There are also deals available in college sports. San Diego State University offers a $35 Aztec Kids Club<\/a> membership that includes admission to all volleyball, baseball, softball and women\u2019s basketball home games. Kids must be in eighth grade or younger.<\/p>\n Merchandise\/other live sports options<\/p>\n 6. Get your merch secondhand<\/p>\n San Diego\u2019s thrift stores are great places to find T-shirts, jerseys, bags and hats for both kids and adults. Stores like Target, Walmart and DICK\u2019s Sporting Goods have Padres, Wave FC, SDFC and Aztecs shirts for around $20 and up<\/a>.<\/p>\n But team merchandise is a fraction of the price at Goodwill, the Salvation Army or Veterans Thrift Stores. Plus, you might find something vintage to help you stand out in the crowd.<\/p>\n 7. Other sports in town<\/p>\n While the Padres, Wave FC, SDFC and the Aztecs are the big players in town, there are other local sports teams you can watch in-person that may save you some money.<\/p>\n We already mentioned the region\u2019s hockey team, the Gulls. There’s also the region\u2019s indoor soccer team, the San Diego Sockers<\/a> and the region\u2019s lacrosse team, the San Diego Seals<\/a>. Plus, San Diego has a new professional volleyball team, the Mojo<\/a>. And don’t forget all the other collegiate athletics in town, like the teams at UC San Diego, CSU San Marcos and the University of San Diego.<\/p>\n South of the border, there are the successful and popular Liga MX\u2019s Club Tijuana<\/a> men’s and women’s soccer teams and Mexican Baseball League\u2019s Toros de Tijuana<\/a> that offer generally more affordable ticket prices. Be sure to factor in the cost of border wait times if you need to go back and forth!<\/p>\n 8. What other San Diego-Tijuana live sports tips do you know?<\/p>\n Let us know if we missed anything so we can collect the best ideas to save some money watching our favorite sports teams in San Diego and Tijuana.<\/p>\n San Diego\u2019s cost of living is roughly 50% higher than the national average. While the median household income is around $104,321, the income needed to afford a median-priced home ($920k+) is now estimated at over $260,000.<\/p>\n ![\"MTS](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774879090_352_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n