Cheap cosplay ideas!

With the way the economy is, we’re all trying to find ways to save money while enjoying the things we love. For us cosplayers, that means saving some cash on our next cosplay.

While cosplaying can definitely be an expensive hobby, you don’t always have to fork out a bunch of money on your next character. In fact, there are many characters who you can cosplay on a tight budget!

In this post, I’ll give you 15 cheap cosplay ideas for you to try. You’ll definitely save a lot of money with these characters. For this list, I’ll give you a breakdown of how much it costs for each character. All of them are under $50 USD!

Note that I won’t include the cost of a wig because you may have different options. Either you can use your real hair (click here to see how you can cosplay without a wig), reuse a wig from a different cosplay, or you can buy a brand new wig.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Wednesday Addams

Cosplayer: susamiii.

We have to start this list with a character that has seen resurgence in popularity! That character of course is Wednesday Addams! If you didn’t know, she has a new series on Netflix, starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday. You should check it out. As for her cosplay, it’s wonderful and not expensive at all to make!

ItemCost
Black dress$20
White dress shirt$10
Black heels$10
Wednesday Addams cosplay costs

Total = $40

2. Any sports Anime

My Hyuuga cosplay from Kuruko No Baske!

Of course I’m a little biased, but you should know that sports Anime cosplays are very budget-friendly. You can easily order a sports jersey one online for less than $50 CAD, especially if you use the cheaper websites like AliExpress (click here for the best cosplay websites).

Some popular sports Anime include:

  • Kuroko No Baske
  • Haikyuu
  • Free!

3. Chloe Price from Life is Strange

Cosplayer: rachasakawa. Photo taken by mayucosart. Edited by eckhardt.photos.

Life is Strange is now an established video game franchise with various sequels and spin-offs. But the first game in the series is by far the most well-known, and partly because of the rebellious Chloe Price. She is a kickass character who does what she wants.

Not only does Chloe Price looks awesome, she is easy on the wallet when it comes to dressing up as her!

ItemCost
Blue jeans$10
Necklace$10
White shirt with skull$5
Brown jacket$20
Toque$5
Chloe Price cosplay costs

Total = $50

4. Misty from Pokémon

Misty from Pokemon. She's not that important in the game, but prominent in the Anime! Photo taken bykxz Chen [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)].
Photo by kxz Chen. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.

There are many iconic characters from Pokémon, but Misty is definitely one of them. In the game, she is the water-type gym leader of Cerulean City. But she is most well-known for being Ash’s companion in the Pokémon Anime.

It doesn’t take much to cosplay as Misty, which is why she is great as a cheap cosplay idea. Bring a Togepi plushie with you to complete the look!

ItemCost
Blue shorts$10
Yellow tank top shirt$10
Backpack and straps$20
Togepi plushieProbably too much
Misty cosplay costs

Total = $40

5. Nasa Starfire

Cosplayer: khay_cosplay. Photo taken by ikaphotography_.

Starfire is one of the most popular superheroes in all of comic books! While her original bodysuit edition would cost more, fortunately she has other variations of her outfit. And one of the easier editions of her costume is the NASA edition!

ItemCost
White t shirt with NASA logo$10
Purple-colored forearm sleeves$10
Dark brown shorts$10
Nasa Starfire cosplay costs

Total = $30

6. Marin from My Dress Up Darling

The irony is that Marin herself is a cosplayer. So that only gives you a better reason to cosplay as a cosplayer. 🙂

Although Marin is starting to be overshadowed by other popular cosplay ideas such as Yor Forger from Spy X Family, Marin is still a great option because she’s easy and cheap to dress up as.

ItemCost
Blue plaid skirt$20
White dress shirt$10
Blue tie$5
Marin cosplay costs

Total = $35

7. Yuno Gasai from Future Diary

Everyone’s favorite yandere girl! Yuno Gasai is an iconic character from Future Diary. She is definitely insane, but that’s a good thing. If you’re looking to cosplay someone a little crazy (and cheap), then why no go for the poster girl of Yandere that is Yuno Gasai?

ItemCost
Purple shirt and skirt$20
Fake knife$5
Fake blood$5
Yuno Gasai cosplay costs

Total = $30

8. Ouran Host Club

Ouran Host Club cosplay!

I can vouch for how awesome it is to cosplay from Ouran Host Club. It’s an older series but still definitely one of my favorites to this day.

I can tell you that cosplaying from Ouran Host Club is super comfortable and super cheap! You can use your own dress shirt and pants. The only thing you need to make or buy is the blue blazer with the school crescent. And while the black tie has a purple stripe going down the center, you can just wear a regular black tie instead.

Which character from Ouran should you do? I recommend either Haruhi or Tameki! Or the twins if you have another person with you.

ItemCost
Black dress pants$20
White dress pants$10
Black tie$5
Ouran blue blazer$15
Ouran Host Club cosplay costs

Total = $50

9. L from Death Note

L from Deathnote Cosplay
A white t-shirt and blue jeans are all you need to cosplay L from Death Note! Photo by Limelychan.

Out of all the cheap cosplay ideas on this list, L from Death Note is definitely the cheapest one! If you don’t know, L is one of the main characters of this iconic series. Whether it’s his love for lollipops, or his interesting gimmick, L is a character that’s remembered by everyone. And all you need to cosplay him is a white shirt and blue jeans. That’s it!

ItemCost
White long-sleeve T-shirt$5
Blue jeans$20
Eyeliner makeup$10
L cosplay costs

Total = $35

10. Power from Chainsaw Man

Here’s an idea from a relatively new and popular series. Chainsaw Man has taken over the Weeb scene and fortunately for us cosplayers, it won’t cost you a ton of money to dress up from this series.

That’s because most of the characters wear regular clothing. And in the case of Power, you only have to add devil horns for her!

ItemCost
Black dress pants$20
White dress shirt$10
Blue sweater$10
Devil horns$10
Power cosplay costs

Total = $50

11. Kim Possible

Photo by Richie S. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Oh yes! One of the best Disney TV shows in the modern era, Kim Possible is a kick-ass heroine who sort of reminds me of James Bond. While she is a strong crime fighter, she also struggles balancing her high school life at the same time. This makes Kim Possible very relatable and definitely fun to do as a closet cosplay.

ItemCost
Black long-sleeve tanktop shirt$10
Navy green pants$20
Black gloves$10
Kim Possible cosplay costs

Total = $40

12. Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service

Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service. An older series but a classic magical girl worth cosplaying!
Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service. An older series but a classic magical girl worth cosplaying! Photo by 玄史生.

Of all the cheapest cosplay ideas, Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of the best! It’s such an insanely cheap way to cosplay. All you need basically is a dress, a broom and a nice bowtie.

If you don’t know, Kiki is the main character of this wonderful Studio Ghibli movie. It’s an older film but still a classic up to this day. So most people will know who you are, should you decide to cosplay as Kiki.

ItemCost
Dark navy blue dress$20
Orange heels$10
Red bowtie$5
Broom$10
Kiki cosplay costs

Total = $45

13. Android 18 from Dragon Ball Z

Who doesn’t love Android 18? She is one of the more recognizable characters from Dragon Ball Z as she is probably one of the strongest characters in the series.

Android 18 is another cheap and easy cosplay. Her whole outfit is based on regular clothes and a couple of unique accessories.

ItemCost
Brown boots$10
Black shirt$5
Striped shirt$5
Blue jean jacket and skirt$20
Black stockings and leggings$10
Android 18 cosplay costs

Total = $50

14. Luffy from One Piece

Luffy Cosplay
Monkey D. Luffy cosplayer by Gage Skidmore. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.

If you love pirates, then you’ll definitely love cosplaying Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece! The iconic main character of this long-running Shonen, he is super easy to cosplay. You probably have everything you need to cosplay him…all in your closet!

ItemCost
Red button shirt with yellow buttons$25
Sombrero hat$10
Light blue shorts$10
Yellow sash$5
Luffy cosplay costs

Total = $50

15. Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist

Cosplayer: allure_cosplay. Photo taken by 7S Photography.

Last but not least, we have Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist (FMA)! She is a sexy evil character that everyone recognizes, since FMA is one of the most popular series of all time. And fortunately, Lust is a very budget-friendly cosplay to do!

ItemCost
Long black dress$20
Sharp claws$20
Luffy cosplay costs

Total = $40

Summary

To summarize, here are the 15 cheap cosplay ideas that are great for your wallet:

  1. Wednesday Addams
  2. Any sports Anime
  3. Chloe Price from Life is Strange
  4. Misty from Pokémon
  5. Nasa Starfire
  6. Marin from My Dress Up Darling
  7. Yuno Gasai from Future Diary
  8. Ouran Host Club
  9. L from Death Note
  10. Power from Chainsaw Man
  11. Kim Possible
  12. Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service
  13. Android 18 from Dragon Ball Z
  14. Luffy from One Piece
  15. Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist

And there you have it; 15 cheap cosplay ideas to add to your costume arsenal!

Which ones are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments!

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