How Much Does a Manicure and Pedicure Cost?

Last Updated on July 4, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Getting a standard pedicure will usually take between 30 and 45 minutes, while a standard manicure shouldn’t last more than 14 to 30 minutes. There are salons and even a few spas where you can find deluxe pampering services. These will last slightly more, about 45 minutes for manicures and about 60 minutes for pedicures.

How Much Does a Manicure and Pedicure Cost?

The cost of manicures and pedicures is anywhere between just $28 and $110 or more, depending on where you get them done, the style you go for, and other important factors.

For the lower range, you should go to a small nail shop, where you will likely spend between $10 and $15 for a standard manicure and around $20 to $30 for a deluxe one.

Pedicures, on the other hand, will cost between $17 and $29 for basic styles at small nail shops, while deluxe pedicures will likely cost between $18 and $29. If you want acrylic nails, you will spend $30 to $40 at a small nail shop for a standard style, while acrylic nails colored in pink and white will likely cost between $35 and $45.

At salons and spas, prices to have your nails done are slightly higher and are considered mid-range. Deluxe manicures for example will cost between $40 and $45, while standard ones will cost $25 to $30. Pedicures are also more expensive at spas and salons, with prices between $50 and $70 for deluxe styles and $40 to $45 for standard ones. You will also spend between $40 and $50 for standard acrylic nails, and $50 to $60 for colored ones.

The highest prices will usually be found at hotel and resort spas, where pedicures cost up to $150 for deluxe styles and up to $60 for standard ones, manicures cost up to $85 for deluxe styles and up to $55 for standard ones, while gel manicure will likely cost between $50 and $100.

What should be included

When getting a standard manicure, the nail technician will likely begin with cleaning and soaking the hand or fingers in a moisturizer or lotion-infused water. This is done to soften the nails and skin around them. They will then start to push back cuticles, cut and shape the nail, and even the surface by buffing the nail.

Gel polish is then added, but only if you have requested it. Most shops are able to provide a large variety of nail polish colors, but in some places, you can even bring your own. You will also get a soft hand massage in some places.

Going for deluxe services will mean that the technician will also exfoliate the hands using a light sugar or salt scrub. The hands will also be soaked in different lotions or aromatic oils. There are also technicians that dip the hands of the clients in paraffin wax for 10 minutes or so. This is to add an additional layer of softness.

Standard pedicures are usually done with customers sitting in large chairs, having their feet dipped in a tub that looks like a whirlpool. In this way, the feet are cleaned and soaked in warm water so that the skin and nail beds are softened. There are some automatic massage chairs in specific salons that can give customers neck and back rub at the same time, and some technicians will also go as far as giving a mild foot massage.

Most technicians will use a pumice stone to remove calluses and dry skin and clip and shape the nail as well. Before adding polish, they will also buff the nail to even out the surface, if you asked to get polish as well. Although you can bring your own colors, the shop should also provide its own variety of polish colors.

When opting for deluxe services, you will also get an exfoliation of the feet with the help of aromatic sugar or salt scrubs. This step will concentrate on removing any dry skin from the balls of the feet and the heels. The feet are then soaked in paraffin wax, lotion, or light oil, to give them an extra soft layer. Milt foot massages are also included in most services.

When it comes to acrylics, you can choose anything from the color to the trimming length and shape. The preparation services are usually the same at most technicians, starting with the soaking and cleaning of the entire hands or at least the fingers.

The professional will then apply the adhesive after which they attach the acrylic nail directly to the nail bed. The nail is then sanded down and shaped, and then polish and other accessories will be added if you have requested these.

Additional costs at the nail salon

This is how manicures and pedicures should look when done by professionals at a nail salon

You should add somewhere between $7 and $15 to any manicure, acrylic, or pedicure when the technician paints the white tips on the nail. These are called French tips and never seem to get out of style.

It will also cost you around $10 to $20 to change polish at most salons. Some salons choose to sell paraffin wax treatments as a separate service, with prices between $10 and $20 for hands and feet.

You can get specialty designs when it comes to acrylics. These can be anything from multiple color strands to fake jewels, but they will usually increase the final cost by 20% or even more. Some salons have a fixed additional rate for acrylics, at around $3 to $7 per nail.

When you’ll need gel refills for acrylics you will spend between $35 and $50 for the full set. Any broken acrylics that need repairs will cost $10 to $15 per nail.

Prepare a tip for the technician as well, which should be 15 to 20% of the whole cost.

Discounts

You will find packages at spas and resorts, with combinations of standard or deluxe manicure and pedicure services. These will cost around 15 to 20% less than bought individually.

A clipper set for manicures, including cuticle and nail instruments, costs about $25 to $60. For pedicures, these same sets will cost more.

Looking for standard manicures and pedicures

The easiest way to search for these services is with the nationwide directory of spas provided by Spa Finder Magazine. You just rented the city you want to look in and then click on either manicures or pedicures under the treatments tab.