New York City is a great destination for one city trip, but it is known for its high costs. In this article I will focus on the costs of a city trip to New York. I also provide useful tips to keep your budget in check so that you can still enjoy your trip to the fullest. Whether you spend just 3 or 10 days in New York, I'll help you make smart choices and avoid going broke. Read about this in this article.
How much does a city trip to New York City cost?
Package holidays
Package holidays through discount airlines such as TUI en D-Travel are usually the cheapest way to discover the city. They compete with cheap flights and have good deals with hotels in the city, so it usually costs you more if you book them separately. Complete city trips of 4 to 5 days can be booked in the low season from around 600 euros. That is flight + hotel with often a transfer. Realistically, your real price will be around 800 to 1000 euros per person.
That's what Malou thinks Wereldreizigers.nl, completely happy on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City! Do you want to discover this amazing city just like her?
Our tip: Providers such as TUI and D-reizen can help you keep travel and accommodation costs as low as possible, so that you can spend that money in the city on fun things to do.
- Great price/quality ratio
- Flight + hotel
- Discover the #1 world city
- Great in spring and autumn
Hotels, hostels and AirBnB
Hostel prices – In the high season in the summer, a bed in a shared dorm can be found from $50 USD. Off-season prices are closer to $40 USD. A private room costs around $95-130 USD per night and doesn't fluctuate much between seasons. Free Wi-Fi is standard and most hostels also have self-catering facilities.
Budget hotel prices – Budget two star hotel rooms start at $95 USD. Also at budget hotels the price fluctuates less violently between high and low season. Prices are slightly higher on weekends, but not shocking. Expect basic amenities such as TV, air conditioning and a coffee maker or kettle.
Mid-range hotel prices – A mid-range three to four star hotel in New York can easily cost $150 USD on a weekday and $250 USD or higher on the weekend. The price per night in these hotels also fluctuates heavily based on supply and demand. These hotels are by definition a lot more expensive in high season and the well-known school holidays. It is therefore wise to plan your city trip to New York City outside these periods, if you can of course.
Tip:: Use the booking.com widget map below to see at a glance what the average hotel prices are for a specific date.
Booking.comAirBnB – There are plenty of Airbnb options in New York City. Private rooms start at $60-70 USD per night, while a full apartment averages closer to $175-350 USD per night. Make sure you book well in advance if you want to find a good deal. These are often already fully booked and you will notice that almost nothing is available shortly in advance.
Tip:: Always look carefully at the additional costs with AirBnB. Sometimes you think you are getting a cheap deal, but after all the extra costs (cleaning, taxes, handling fees, etc.) it is still as expensive or more expensive than a hotel.
Food and drink
Street food – New York has food in many price ranges. Pizza slices can be found on the street for as little as $3 USD. A bagel with cream cheese or a hot dog is usually around $3-5 USD and with egg, bacon and cheese $6-8 USD. There are plenty of street vendors with quick meals around $6-10 USD. Small sandwich shops, kebab shops, salad shops and quick cafe meals are generally $10-12 USD.
Mid range restaurants – You can eat in a mid-range restaurant for $18-30 USD per main course, including vegetarian dishes. Dinner for two with drinks usually averages about $80-100 USD and a beer is about $8 USD.
High end restaurants – prices go straight up from here as New York City has some really fancy and expensive restaurants. I mean, you can pay $500 for dinner here if you want. But there are also many high-end restaurants where you can go for around $50 USD per main course, or pay $150-200 USD for a few courses and drinks.
drink – Beer costs about $8 USD and a latte / cappuccino averages $5 USD, even at a coffee shop or Starbucks. A liter bottle of water is $2-3 USD and yes, usually at the grocery stores like Walgreens and Wholefoods.
Transportation
Metro – The subway is by far the cheapest way to get around during your city trip in New York City. A MetroCard costs $1 USD once and then you pay $2,75 USD each way. All those singles can really add up. So if you are in New York for several days, it will in most cases be cheaper to immediately purchase an unlimited week card, which costs 'only' $33 USD. You can simply buy this from a vending machine at any metro station.
Yellow cab Taxi – Taxis have not been this cheap in New York City for a long time. Streets full of yellow taxis are outdated. This is due to the city's excellent metro network and increased fuel prices. A ride in a normal taxi therefore quickly costs $30 USD from lower to central Manhattan. From Manhattan to Brooklyn, also about $30 USD.
JFK Airport Taxi – Do not pay too much for a taxi from the airport. Our own experience has shown that the regular Yellow Cabs are the cheapest in most cases. From JFK to Brooklyn is about $50 USD. Middle Manhattan is about $70 USD and Lower Manhattan (where we were) about $80 USD.
Tip:: Uber and Lyft taxis to and from the airport were a lot more expensive during rush hours than the regular yellowcab JFK airport taxis. Uber and Lyft Taxis came in at $130+ USD from JFK to our hotel… $50 more than a regular taxi. This has everything to do with supply and demand.
Uber/Lyft Taxi – We also took an Uber or Lyft taxi a few times. As far as we could see, these were almost the same in price - and more importantly - the same as the regular yellow cabs. However, we found these apps extremely useful to see approximately what a ride should cost and, wherever you are, you can have a taxi in front of you within a few minutes. However, the prices of Uber and Lyft taxis can skyrocket during rush hour, so you quickly pay a lot.
Bus – There are also many buses in New York. However, these are often intended for longer journeys or places where no metro is available. Tickets cost about $7-15 USD depending on your destination. If you do not need to be in the countryside during your city trip, you are better off with a MetroCard.
Tip
Few people talk about it, but one of the things that makes New York City and the US in general so expensive is the constant tipping that is expected of you. In the USA is the minimum wage not what we are used to in The Netherlands† You simply cannot make ends meet in the hospitality industry or passenger transport and that is well known. Therefore you are expected to standard to give a 20% tip† It's kind of an unwritten rule in this country.
When you pay for something and you see the bill on the screen, it is standardly displayed whether you want to tip 18, 20 or 23%. This also works the same way with an Uber or taxi. Tipping is not the first thing you think of when you budget for a trip... In the US you should certainly do so because 20% can be quite a chunk of your budget. You need food and transportation almost every day.
Tax not included
Another silent killer for your wallet during a city trip to New York City are taxes or VAT. This is often not included in the price you see. In the Netherlands we are used to prices in the store or in a restaurant including VAT. In the US this is often different. We once had to pay $30 USD for two sandwiches and drinks. But after the tax fees and tip it was suddenly $45+ USD. That's quite scary! After a few mistakes, we really started paying more attention to whether or not this was included in the price.
Tips to save money
Okay, you now know that a city break in New York City can destroy your wallet in a short amount of time. It's expensive and you can run out of money very, very quickly if you're not careful. It's mainly the little things that keep you losing more money than you're used to. Bottled water, a beer, a quick snack in between, a taxi and yes, that tip and taxes-not-included add up everywhere… Yet there are also many ways to enjoy New York City without breaking the bank. costs your body.
Free City Tours – Taking a free City Tour is the most fun and the best way to get to know the city. You get to see the main sights and ask all your questions to a local guide. It costs nothing in principle, but a somewhat substantial tip is expected! Give $10-15 USD per person and the guide will thank you. You really won't find it cheaper than that in New York City.
Buy a MetroCard – I already mentioned it in the transportation section, but just buy a 7-day unlimited MetroCard for $33 at the first subway you see when you arrive in New York City. It will save you a lot of money!
Buy cheap theater tickets – Broadway tickets can easily cost hundreds of dollars, especially for the new and popular shows. If you don't necessarily want to see a particular show but want to get the Broadway experience: the TKTS booth in Times Square offers 40-50% off select shows. You just have to go to the counter to see what they have. Be prepared to wait in line for about an hour.
Free Museums – NYC is full of some of the best museums in the world. In addition to the MoMA, many offer free admission on certain days of the week: the Whitney Museum of American Art is pay what you wish on Thursday afternoon. It Solomon R. Guggenheim museum has pay-what-you-wish donations on Saturday from 16.00:18.00 PM to XNUMX:XNUMX PM. And the Cooper Hewitt National Museum of Design has a pay what you wishpolicy on Saturday evening.
eat cheap (and healthy) – It's very Dutch; we often just spread our own sandwiches for the afternoon. Complete packed lunches were in our bag when we hit the road again! Buy fruit, bread, cheese, chicken fillet, snack peppers and snack tomatoes at the Walgreens of whole foods and make your own ultimate healthy sandwich. Almost every hotel room in New York City has a fridge where you can keep your food and drinks cool.
It is not only a lot cheaper, but also a lot healthier. Because almost everything you buy on the street or in a restaurant in America is fried, fried, salty, sweet and fatty.
New York City Pass – With this sightseeing pass you have access to a number of real top attractions at a high discount. If you plan to see several popular attractions, this can save you a lot of money. The most purchased pass costs $129 USD per person and gives you access to five top attractions. There is also a variant of the pass (the C3) that offers three top attractions for a price of $87 USD. We also bought this pass and went to Top of the Rock, the 9/11 museum and did the Circle Line Cruise.
Visit 5 major New York City attractions with significant savings. You will receive the mobile tickets (QR code) directly in your mailbox and you can then schedule the attractions yourself at the day and time that suits you.
Enjoy popular attractions such as Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History for a deeply discounted price!
- Choice of real top attractions
- Substantial savings (40%)
- Plan attractions yourself
- Tickets via QR
- Also available for 3 attractions
couchsurf – Accommodation is expensive in NYC and with few hostels there aren't many options for a budget traveler. Use a hospitality website like Couchsurfing to stay with the locals for free. There is a huge network in the city with many hosts. Apply as far in advance as possible to increase the chance of success!
Bring a water bottle – The tap water in New York City is safe to drink, so bring a reusable water bottle to save money and to reduce your plastic use. The water here has a slightly different taste than in the Netherlands with a slight touch of chlorine. If you find that annoying, use a LifeStraw! Lifestraw is my favorite brand because their bottles have built-in filters to make sure your water is always clean and safe. They cost about 40 euros and are here for sale.
Want to know more about New York? Then also read:
New York | 30x the most beautiful places + things to do
New York | General and practical information
Closing comments
The memories you will make are of course priceless. But by being conscious of your expenses and using the saving tips, you can safely enjoy everything this city has to offer. So go out and be enchanted by the unforgettable experiences that await you.
That's what Malou thinks Wereldreizigers.nl, completely happy on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City! Do you want to discover this amazing city just like her?
Our tip: Providers such as TUI and D-reizen can help you keep travel and accommodation costs as low as possible, so that you can spend that money in the city on fun things to do.
- Great price/quality ratio
- Flight + hotel
- Discover the #1 world city
- Great in spring and autumn
Plan your vacation to America here
- Camper rental You can book this in combination with a tour Travelhome.
- Tours and Fly & drives compare to TUI, Americaplus, sawadee en Djoser.
- Flight tickets for America you book with TUI, KLM en Skyscanner.
- Rental cars : Sunnycars, Alamo en rental cars.
- Tours and Activities in America you book via GetYourGuide.
- Campsites in National Parks you book on RECREATION.gov.
- Travel insurance for America you will find at Allianz.
- Hotels & Resorts in America you can book with a discount Booking.com.
- SIM cards : USAsim en International sim.
- Parking at the airport you can arrange via Parkos, park care of iParking.
- travel items (suitcases, bags, world plugs, etc. can be ordered at Bol.com.
