You won a free ticket to see the latest Star Wars movie this Friday night (which you can costlessly resell for its face value of $15). Your favorite band is also performing on Friday and is your only alternative activity. Friday is your last chance to see either the movie or the band. Tickets to see your favorite band cost $30, and on any given day, you would be willing to pay as much as $50 for a ticket. Based on this information, what is your opportunity cost of going to see the Star Wars movie on Friday?

Question

You won a free ticket to see the latest Star Wars movie this Friday night (which you can costlessly resell for its face value of $15). Your favorite band is also performing on Friday and is your only alternative activity. Friday is your last chance to see either the movie or the band. Tickets to see your favorite band cost $30, and on any given day, you would be willing to pay as much as $50 for a ticket. Based on this information, what is your opportunity cost of going to see the Star Wars movie on Friday?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The opportunity cost of seeing the movie is the economic surplus you give up by not seeing your favorite band ($50 - $30 = $20)plus the $15 you could have received by selling your movie ticket.

You Won a Free Ticket to See the Latest Star Wars