1 Since a wrist tattoo is usually done in a smaller area, plan on budgeting anywhere from $50 to as much as $225.2  However, for a reputable artist, the costs can be much higher. 3  Artists usually charge for a minimum amount especially if they have state-of-the-art facilities in the clinic. Tattoos that are done by veteran and licensed tattoo artists are usually more expensive than those done by an apprentice. 2  Plan on spending a minimum of $75 an hour. 3  A few answers on this FunAdvice.com page claimed that a small wrist tattoo was $80 while someone else paid around $150.