Laminate vs. tile flooring: cost & which to choose
These two are opposites in a useful way. Tile is hard, cold, fully waterproof, and lasts decades — the right call for bathrooms, kitchens, and entryways. Laminate is warmer, softer, far cheaper to install, and a realistic DIY job — better for living spaces and bedrooms. The deciding questions are usually how wet the room gets and who's doing the work — and, for most people, cost: laminate runs about $3–$8 per square foot installed versus $7–$20 for tile, so if you're asking whether tile or laminate is cheaper, the answer is laminate. Here's the full comparison.
The quick verdict
- Choose tile for bathrooms, kitchens, mudrooms, and entryways — anywhere waterproofing and long-term durability matter most.
- Choose laminate for living rooms, bedrooms, and halls where you want a warm wood look, a softer floor underfoot, and a budget- and DIY-friendly install.
What they're made of
- Laminate is a dense fiberboard (HDF) core topped with a photo-realistic wood print and a tough clear wear layer. It floats over the subfloor and clicks together — but the wood-based core is why moisture is its weakness.
- Tile is fired ceramic or porcelain, set in thinset mortar with grouted joints. Porcelain is denser and harder than ceramic and is the more durable, water-resistant of the two. Either way, it's a rigid, waterproof, mineral surface — the opposite of laminate in almost every property.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Laminate | Tile (ceramic/porcelain) |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | $3–$8 / sq ft | $7–$20 / sq ft |
| Water resistance | Water-resistant at best | 100% waterproof |
| Durability | Good; wears through eventually | Excellent; tiles can crack |
| Feel underfoot | Warmer, softer, quieter | Hard & cold (great with radiant heat) |
| Scratch resistance | Excellent | Excellent |
| Best rooms | Living rooms, bedrooms, halls | Baths, kitchens, entries, mudrooms |
| DIY install | Easy (floating click-lock) | Hard (substrate, thinset, grout) |
| Maintenance | Sweep & damp-mop | Easy, but grout needs resealing |
| Lifespan | 15–25 years | 50+ years |
Tile vs. laminate cost, compared by room size
So is tile or laminate cheaper? Laminate, in almost every case. Tile usually costs two to three times as much installed — not because the tile is dear (it can be cheap) but because setting it is skilled, slow work. The table below breaks down the cost of tile vs. laminate flooring by room size, using typical installed ranges (materials + labor):
| Room size | Laminate ($3–$8/sq ft) | Tile ($7–$20/sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Small room — 120 sq ft | $360–$960 | $840–$2,400 |
| Bathroom / bedroom — 200 sq ft | $600–$1,600 | $1,400–$4,000 |
| Kitchen / living — 320 sq ft | $960–$2,560 | $2,240–$6,400 |
| Main floor — 800 sq ft | $2,400–$6,400 | $5,600–$16,000 |
Laminate is also the bigger DIY saver, since its floating planks remove most of the labor. The numbers above use typical national ranges — see our methodology for how we build cost estimates.
Know your square footage first
Use the flooring calculator for laminate boxes, or the tile calculator for tile counts with waste — each gives quantities and an editable cost.
Open the Tile CalculatorWhich should you choose, room by room?
- Bathroom, kitchen, mudroom, entryway → Tile. Waterproofing and durability win where there's water, dirt, and traffic.
- Living room, bedrooms, hallways → Laminate. Warmer and softer underfoot, with a convincing wood look for less.
- Basements → Tile for moisture resistance — or consider waterproof luxury vinyl plank as a warmer middle ground.
- Open-plan kitchen/living → many homeowners tile the kitchen and run laminate (or LVP) through the living area, with a transition strip between.
Installation & maintenance
This is the biggest practical difference. Laminate is floating click-lock — planks snap together over a foam underlayment with no glue or nails, so a handy homeowner can do a room in a weekend. Tile is a true skilled trade: it needs a flat, rigid substrate (usually cement backer board), thinset mortar, spacers, a tile saw or snap cutter, and grouting — doable as a DIY project, but far less forgiving. For upkeep, laminate just needs sweeping and a barely-damp mop; tile is easy to clean but its grout lines need periodic resealing to stay stain- and water-resistant. If you want the step-by-step, see our how to tile a floor guide.