Determining a budget for a trip to New York is quite complicated. It would help if you considered various expenses, and some are more important than others.
Anyhow, I’ll try to give you some clues. First, I will define three types of budgets (tight, average, and large) for a couple who decides to stay a week in New York (7 nights).
For each budget, I will consider the following elements:
Flight + accommodation + food + departures + visits + shopping + extras
It is an estimate based on my own experience. At least I will try to give you an idea of how much your budget should be.
Factors to think about as you prepare your budget for a trip to New York City
Firstly, you must consider when you want to go to New York City. The flights and accommodation rates vary depending on the season.
The cheapest season is from January to March.
The seasons that attract more tourists are when there are school holidays (Easter, summer, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year).
The accommodation is another factor to care about. The place where you will stay and the comfort and services you want. You can start at around $90 a night up to $250-300 or a few thousand dollars for high-end hotels.
The lifestyle you want in New York also matters. You may don’t mind eating sandwiches, going out at night, or shopping; your budget may be more limited than a couple who wants to dine in restaurants, see a show on Broadway, and visit many places.
The 7 factors that seem most important to me are:
– the flight (round trip)
– accommodation (hostels, hotels, apartment…)
– transportation (from the airport, taxis, metro…)
– meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
– visits, attractions and shows
– shopping
– extra expenses (bars, cakes…).
How much does a flight cost to New York?
I know you read me from different countries, and I cannot easily compare the cost of a flight ticket from London, Sydney, or Berlin. For those who read me from the United States, the price categories that I will give below do not apply because domestic flights are usually much cheaper than international flights.
However, if you go on vacation outside school holidays, you will get cheaper rates. But still, you can review the fares of some airlines which propose offers throughout the year. The key is to check rates often. Sometimes it can be helpful to register for an airline’s newsletter and receive special offers notifications.
I prepared a list of airlines in this article. Do not hesitate to review it and compare the rates 😉
If you notice a promotion, you can also inform me, and I’ll publish it in this post.
I determine three types of budget:
From $450 to $600 per person, or $900 to $1200 for a round trip if you go with your partner.
The median fare for airline tickets ranges from $650 to $800 per person, or $1300 to $1600 for a couple.
You can spend much more in high seasons or if you want to travel in higher classes, in this case, consider a budget of about $900 to $1200 per person, or $1800- $2400 for a round trip for a couple.
How much does it cost to stay in New York?
Again, it is a bit difficult to give you a very precise cost.
New York City attracts a lot of tourists, the rates vary from month to month.
You can find a room at $150 off-season, and pay $250- $300 for the same room during the high season!
In addition, you have to take into account where you would like to stay, the number of travelers, comfort, and services.
You can find a room in a house (on NY Habitat or AirbnB), stay in a hostel (see in Booking). The night costs from $45 to $50 per person per night, or $630 to $700 for a week with your partner.
If you prefer to stay in an apartment or hotel near Manhattan (Queens, Brooklyn, Harlem Long Island City), or if you want a budget apartment in Manhattan, you can find something between $130 to $200 per night, or $910 to $1400 a week for a couple.
If you want a hotel well located in Manhattan, or a high-end apartment, you could spend about $250 per night in a Times Square hotel up to $8000 a night in a suite of a large hotel in the city. Let’s say, usually, prices range from $250 to $400 per night, or $1750 to $2800 per week for a couple.
How much does transportation cost in New York?
The first expense you will have in New York is the transfer between the airport and your accommodation (JFK, Newark, La Guardia). The cheapest way is public transportation with the Airtrain and subway because it is equivalent to $15.75person round trip, or $31 for a couple.
You can also book a taxi shuttle, about $ 23/person, or about $90 per couple, the round trip.
Another option is the taxi or a limousine. It can cost from $50 to $170 for a one-way trip.
Once in New York, if you stay a week, it is best to buy an Unlimited Metrocard. It costs $32 per person.
Yellow cabs can be very practical … and they are so mythical! They are available 24 hours a day in Manhattan. A trip can cost between $8 and $10, it obviously depends on the distance. There are also green taxis, I give you more information in this article. They cost the same, the difference is that they go to areas where yellow taxis do not.
I want to draw attention to those who decide to stay in New Jersey. They must add the price of the PATH (train from New Jersey to NYC), it costs $29 /person, unlimited travel for 7 days. If you don’t stay close to a PATH station, you can take a bus, rates vary depending on the distance.
If you leave the airport using the Airtrain + metro, for the roundtrip, and only use the Metrocard in NYC, it will cost you $128 for the week if you go out with your partner.
If you reserve a shuttle for the airport transfers, buy the Unlimited Metrocard for NYC, and take 2 to 3 times a taxi, count an expense of $170 to $185 for a week with your partner.
If you prefer to book a limousine from the airport to your hotel, then a taxi to return to the airport, the Metrocard unlimited 7 days, and take a taxi 5 to 10 times during the week, your budget would be between $400 and $524 for a week with your partner.
How much money could you spend for meals?
It is another difficult point to determine. Some may be satisfied with a $3 hot dog, and others prefer $200 meals at a good restaurant.
Breakfast at a Starbucks costs $5 to $6 per person (a simple coffee and pastry). You can spend less at a 7 Eleven, Dunkin Donuts, Prêt-à-Manger…
Eating at a fast-food restaurant varies from $8 to $10 for a main dish + drink + dessert.
There are small restaurants or Deli’s, in which the main course (pizza, pasta, meat, …) costs from $10 to $12 per person. A full meal costs $20 – $26 per person.
As for restaurants, likewise any big city, some can be very expensive. But there are many with complete menus (entrees + main dish + dessert) between $50 and $60 per person.
Note: some hotels have breakfast included in the room rate, with a large selection of food.
For three meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). dinner), my estimate is:
One breakfast and two fast-food, or $25 to $30/day/person, or $275 to $460 per week with your partner.
For a breakfast, a fast-food and a small restaurant, count about $30-45 per person per day, or $460 to $650 per week with your partner.
If you want a good breakfast, a small restaurant for lunch and a nicer one for Dinner, consider $50-90 per person per day, or $700 to $1260 for the week with your partner.
How much do visits, attractions and shows cost in New York?
First of all, I think that for a first visit of New York, the purchase of a Pass is very useful, like the New York CityPASS since it offers the main visits and attractions in NYC.
Then, if you want to see an NBA game, whether it’s the New York Knicks or the Brooklyn Nets, you could find tickets at $26-40. For a baseball game, it’s starting at $20-25, a football game is starting at $40-50. You can read more information here.
If you like shows and plays, you can go see a musical on Broadway, starting at $ 65-90 per person.
One of the must-see activities in New York is a helicopter flight, starting at $215 per person. It is impressive and allows you to see the whole city from an extraordinary point of view.
In short, there are thousands of things that can be done in New York, not to mention concerts, museums, bus tours, boats, guided tours…
The key is to buy a visitor’s pass, such as the New York CityPASS, it costs $120 per person, or $240 for a couple, and you have 9 days to use it.
You also could buy the New York CityPASS, add 2-3 activities as a game, a musical and a helicopter tour. It would cost between $330 and $650 per couple.
If you want to make a maximum of activities, in addition to the New York CityPASS, a game, a musical, a helicopter tour, one bus tour and more, it would cost you $650 or more from $1300 per couple for a week.
How much does a shopping session in New York cost?
It is one of the most difficult budgets to anticipate. Even if your not a regular shopper, the prices in New York are so attractive that one quickly falls into the shopping fever.
Most tourists buy souvenirs from $ 1 to $ 10 (key chains, I Love NY t-shirt …) but they also buy at least a pair of sneakers (Converse, New balance, Nike) from $40 to $50, a pair of jeans from $40 to $50, 2-3 t-shirts at $10 each…
You can save money going to one of the outlet stores near NYC. For nice souvenirs at “wallet friendly” prices, you can go to Cocoblues.
If you do not buy much more than souvenirs, count from $30 to $65.
With a shopping session in stores like Century 21 and common brands, count from $250 to $400 per couple for the whole week.
If you like the high-end clothes, or the shops of 5th Avenue, you may easily spend around $650- $1300 per couple.
What are the other expenses that can be spent in New York?
Within these expenses I include going to a bar at the end of the day, passing by a bakery during the afternoon… expenses that are not necessary but are part of the vacations.
A cupcake, muffin or cookie, can cost at least 3 to 4 dollars, a beer costs $6-10, a cocktail is from 9 to 13 dollars, if it is on a rooftop (on the terrace of a building) it is at least $ 13…
In this category you can count the administrative expenses (ESTA -$14 person- or visa, it depends on the countries in terms of price), the passport (the price depends on the countries), and are required to enter the American territory.
So, if from time to time you want to eat a typical US cupcake, have a coffee and go to a rooftop at least once a week, count $50 to $65 for a week for two people.
If you want to have an “extra” several times a week, consider a budget of $130 to $200 per couple for a week.
If you want to go out every day for coffee, go to a bar without forgetting a sweet treat everyday, count from $250 to $330 per couple for the whole week.
How much money should you budget for a week trip to New York City?
I prepared a table so you can better read the budgets calculated above.
| Flight | |||
| Housing | |||
| Transportation | |||
| Meals | |||
| Tours | |||
| Shopping | |||
| Extras | |||
| TOTAL |
As you can see, you can go to New York with your partner with a little over $2000, reserving the flight and accommodation as soon as possible and limiting your expenses in the city.
However, I recommend that you go with a budget of minimum $2200 per couple, to truly enjoy your stay. I would say a minimum of $3500-$4000.
In this article, I am not talking about the agencies that offer flight-hotel packages. You can get a good deal on websites like Expedia.
To prepare your budget, you can also calculate how much money you spend per week when you are at home: meals, transportation to work, shopping, gas and electricity for example.
In conclusion, I hope I have helped you a little with this article, so you can prepare your trip to New York with ease.
Commentaires et questions sur
How much money should you budget for a week trip to New York City?
Des questions ou des remarques sur cet article ? Faites-nous en part dans les commentaires, nous nous ferons un plaisir de vous répondre et de vous aider !
Did you already book the Giants game and the UFC fights tickets? Will you use these $1500 to pay the hotel?
If you want to save money on your visits, your best bet is to draft an itinerary and purchase a pass. Take a look at these posts:
– https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/week-planning-visit-new-york-4-different-types-plan/
– https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/best-new-york-city-pass/
Restaurants can be expensive. You can quickly spend $50 per meal per person.
Which restaurant do you recommend to eat fish ? I love red snapper “ huachinango “ .
Thank you in advance !
Carmen
I know places to have lobster if you want. It will be easier for me because I don’t know any place where you could have a real “huachinango”… But you could try Mar, at Mercado Little Spain. I never tried it because it’s new, but I can’t wait to go.
I am planning a trip to New York next year to stay with a friend for three weeks, could you advise me on how much I would need for my trip.
Thank You
Yes, tell me a bit more about your trip. Do you plan to rent an apartment or stay at a hotel? What kind of activities do you plan to do? When do you want to visit NYC?
These are factors that can have an impact on your budget.
Debbie
16 is a perfect age to discover New York City. I was about 15-16 the first time I visited the city, and well, I’m still in love with it! So don’t hesitate if you have questions, and in the meantime, you can read this post: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/things-to-do-teen-new-york-visits-shopping-walks-more/.
The best you can do is to visit the main attraction. As you’re not staying for long, you may consider at least:
– one observatory (One World Trade Center, Empire State, Top of the Rock, The Edge),
– bus tour (so your mother won’t be too tired),
– if it’s your first time, the Statue of Liberty.
These will be the basics. What would be your budget? Have you checked with your family if there are activities they don’t want to miss?
I love your blogs- it’s very thorough and thoughtful 🙂 I’m planning a trip to NY in early April this year, and was wondering what you would recommend- the New York Pass or New York City Pass? I’m working on my itinerary based on the things you recommended which I really loved! Kindly advise.
First, I would like to take a look at your itinerary. From there, I will see your activities and compare the pass that will better fit your trip 🙂
Well, here I am if you have any question concerning your 2022 trip 🙂
You don’t need to rent a car if you plan to stay in NYC. $3000 should be better if this budget includes housing, you can easily spend $1500 for a room/week in New York City.
Do not hesitate if you have more questions. I can help you find hotels and deals 😉
Yes, my info is still up to date. With the pandemic, hotel rates are a bit different. However, I don’t want to change this post because I don’t know how long it will last. During my last stay in NYC, I found excellent rates in Manhattan, cheaper than Long Island City. If you booked your hotel with a free cancellation policy, you could always look for other options.
Don’t hesitate if you want me to check your itinerary.
Rates depend on where you’re staying, not only the hotel but the location. I noticed that hotels located north of the Queensborough bridge tend to be cheaper than the hotels located on the other side. The latter ones are also more recent and feature more modern concepts (rooftop, updated rooms…). You could spend an average of $130-$200 per night.
Subway will be your best friend: it is cheap, fast and yes you can be sure that you’ll be on the ground with the people as you say 😉
If you stay in Queens, consider the NY Ferry. It navigates by the East River via several routes, and it only cost $2.70/trip!!
It depends on where you want to stay. Some AirbnB can be more expansive than hotels and vice versa 🙂
To visit places at a lower cost, check your options with a pass to visit NYC. They offer huge savings.
It all depends on what you plan to do, concerning visits, shows, food, shopping… An average budget would be about 30-50 dollars per day per person. It can be less than that, and much more. It’s different when you travel with a baby, a lot of attractions are free, and they usually eat less than their parents 😉
Let’s say you’ll need about $100/day, or $1000 for your whole trip, minimum.
greatly appreciated
Don’t hesitate if you have more questions.
Thank you!
I’ll always be around if you have questions 🙂
If you plan to stay 5 days in New York City, with a budget of 3000, you will have 600€ per day, or 200€/day/person. It’s a very comfy budget for a trip to NYC 🙂
Tell me which town you’d leave from, so I can check Amtrak tickets.
As far as the rest of the budget is concerned, and depending on what you’d like to do (activities, restaurants), you can get an idea of how much to spend based on the other paragraphs of the article. How long do you plan to stay in New York City? You can always spend less, but in my opinion, a minimum of $50/day/person is an average budget to enjoy New York City.
Well, the budgets I calculate are for a couple. You spend about $600 for a week, that is slightly what I indicate on my table under “Tight Budget” if you remove the tours, shopping, and extras.
Plus, you’re lucky enough to just fly across the country; some of my readers are from Australia and Europe. Even with a low-cost company, they spend more than $300 on their tickets 😉
My kids are going to New York in March for 10 days with a school tour group everything is included except lunch. They are girls so they will want to shop how much do you suggest the take for spending money?
Thanks
I will say a minimum of 30-40 dollars, depending on what they will be looking for… It can go up to a lot more 😀
Four days / 3 nights haven’t a clue how much money I would need to bring with us
We would have a hotel with breakfast included
It always depend on what you want to do and where you’re going to eat. I always count about $50/day/pers to eat and buy a souvenir. With breakfast included, you may spend less.
There are always charges on tickets, the American market is a bit annoying, it makes it very expensive to go to a concert or show…
You can get tickets once in New York City with TKTS. You can always give it a try if you just want to assist to one of the shows and if you’re not a “super fan” of any of them. You can read my post about TKTS here.
Thanks a lof for your nice comment 🙂
Going to New York for a week in March. Is 2500 dollar enough? Accomodation and flights paid for. Thank you.
Is it for you alone ?
What are you planning to do in NYC?
Here is my question: should I bought musical and games tickets in advanced?
Thanks again!
Concerning tickets, passes, activities… I always recommend to book and buy in advance. Then you don’t have to worry once in NYC, you control your budget ahead and just need cash for food, souvenirs, shopping.
Don’t hesitate if you have more questions.
For on person it is a very good budget. You’ll have $300 per day, it’s enough to do almost everything you want 😉
On another note well done for the great way you split expenses into categories and levels.
Many thanks.
Is that the whole budget (plane, hotel, visit) ?
It looks feasible at a first sight. Tell me a bit more about what you plan to do, where you want to stay. I can help you in the process 😉
How much does it cost to rent a car?
As soon as you plan ahead your trip, you won’t have to pay for anything once in New York: tours, pass…
You can rent a car but it’s not suitable in NYC. it would be better to use public transportation or yellow cabs.
Are you related to Anna? You have the same question 😉
Minimum per day, I always count $50 for food. As a teen, I assume he’ll be eating anywhere and may spend less than $50.
Does he have tours included?
For food, I always count about $50 minimum/day.
As I already traveled to these places, I’ll say minimum $80/day. I don’t know Nashville though…
I don’t know Louisville, I already stayed in LA and Vegas. As I would recommend for NYC, plan to spend at least $70/day.
It’s not that bad! It’s about $120/day 😉 You can easily spend only about $50/day for food.
Then, you may need a Metrocard to use public transportation. A 7-day unlimited seems to be the best option as it will cost you $34 the first week, and then $33/week ($1 fee when you purchase a Metrocard).
To save money on your visits, get a pass.
Sheila M. Averbuch
Scotland
All the best with your grant application 😉
To book your hotel, you can wait until June/July 2020. Book through Booking.com because they let you book and cancel as many times as you want. If you find a cheaper rate, or a better located hotel, you cancel your reservation and make another one.
Concerning flights, I found ones about $1000-$1400 AUD for April 2020. You may find cheaper fares if you book before November 2020. Let’s say you’ll spend 3000 max.
Just to have an idea, I looked for hotels for April 18-25 in Long Island City. The average rates is $1500 AUD. You can book your hotel with a debit card.
So 20000-3000-1500 = 15500 left for restaurants, shopping, visits. It means that you will have $2200 left per day, it’s a very decent amount of money! 😉
A pass of visits is about $150 AUD, a helicopter flight average rate is $370 AUD, a good meal at a restaurant is about $69 AUD. but you can spend less if you just want a burger/pizza/sandwich/bagel/tacos… You can spend more too! Same with shopping 😉
I feel like $ 20000 AUD will be a very large budget.
5 days will be the minimum to visit properly New York City.
All these costs are for a couple. Then it depends on where you’re travelling from.
I want to do some of the popular things that are done in terms of sightseeing like the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, , horse and carriage ride in Central Park however I have been told about apartments that were set up in the 1900s the the 1950s and want to explore the less known about activities if there is a such a thing? If there is would you be able to point me in the right direction?
And the shopping is a whole other issue
Kind regards
Eva
I think that you are talking about the Tenement Museum.
However neither the Tenement nor the horse carriage ride are included in a pass. Be careful with scams for the carriage rides and make sure that you are going with a real guide. Check their ID and official authorization.
For the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, you can get an “a la carte pass”, like the Go New York Pass. For these two activities, you’ll only pay $65.13.
They flew out yesterday morning (Wednesday) from Ireland and are staying for a week.
Thanks again for the tips, I’ll keep tagging as long as they are there.
Keep up the good work
I hope they’re having fun! They can always send us private message if they have last minute questions 😉
Thanks
You can find places where to eat around $10-$15/meal. At the lowest, you may spend $30-$50 per day.
Not all activities are free, and if you want to save money, you can always get a pass of visits 😉
You can also check this post if you want: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/new-york-free-museums-cultural-centers-zoos/
You also have Roosevelt Island, Gantry State Park, Domino Park, Governors’ island (if you travel in between May and October)… I talk about all this places on my blog 😉
I am going to New York for 7 days 8 Nights in January, Hotel, Flights, etc are all paid for and sorted.
All I need to do is work out a budget for spending money, we will have already purchased the city pass, so the budget will be for food and travel around New York. I am planning on taking £2100 for the two of us, do you think this is a tight budget? We don’t plan on doing any shopping although I may purchase the odd thing.
Thank you
I think it’s a very confortable budget for a week in New York City 🙂
I am planning a solo trip to NY from India, I have gone through your article. Can you please tell me the minimum possible budget for a week trip to NY, I am interested in a NY helicopter ride and a football game in LA.
Without considering the flight in between India and NY, I’ll say that the minimum will be $1000 for a week.
The helicopter ride starts at $200. Now if you want to see a football game in LA, your budget must be large. You can also see football games in NY.
I am planning a birthday trip for my other half and I was wondering how much I should take for spending money. The money would be spent on attractions (most popular), food and transportation.
How much would you recommend I take? The trip is for 7 days in the month of February.
Concerning the attractions, if you want to visit the most popular, you can get a New York CityPASS. It costs $133 for 6 activities.
For transportation, an Unlimited Metrocard costs $33.
Then, for food and shopping, it depends on you. You can spend from $2 for a slice of pizza to hundreds of $ for a meal.
It could be enough for one person just to eat and to get a Metrocard (to pay for the buses and subway).
Are you planning to visit some attractions? Then you can get a pass of visits, once in NYC, you won’t have to pay any admisssion fee.
Here you have my itineraries: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/week-planning-visit-new-york-4-different-types-plan/
And more info about the passes: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/?s=pass
It is more than enough. Now if you want to save money on the activities, you can always get a pass.
Depending on you itinerary, you have different options for a pass. In any case, you’ll save from 30 to 50% on the admission fees 😉
Take a look at my post here: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/new-york-city-explorer-pass-another-option-visit-new-york-less/
We’ll visit NYC from 2-9 April, and we would like to know where can we find best shops with mobile phones, lap tops,tablets at best price.
Thanks in advance.
Bosko
My favorite store is Best Buy! Chech their “open box” corner to get even more discounts 😉
I am in the process of planning my trip to NYC in June 2020. I have paid for my airfare and accommodation already. It will just be myself visiting nyc – how much should I be setting aside in AU dollars for my visit. I don’t want to be too extravagant but also not too frugal as this is my 40th birthday present to myself ☺️
I look forward to hearing.
Regards,
Eva
As you’re planning your trip ahead, you may want to prepare an itinerary. From there, you’ll know the activities to do and then compare the passes to save money on your visits.
Once in NYC, you won’t have to pay for there activities, your pass will be your admission ticket.
That said, you just have to set aside money for food and shopping. For food you can spend a minimum of $40-50 a day (US dollars). Concerning shopping… well, it’s up to you!! 😀 😀
For transportation, the best is to use the Metrocard, now it costs $34 for Unlimited subway and bus rides. Think about the transfer from the airport to your hotel, you can do it with public transportation or book a shuttle/private taxi. The fare depends on the confort you’re looking for.
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