How much does it cost to visit New York City?

There’s nothing quite like reuniting with your old university roommates on the West Side Highway at sunset. Excitable hugs and shrieks of joy descend into hours of unstoppable chatter as we roll out a picnic mat, unpack the charcuterie and cheese, and soak in the balmy New York atmosphere on one evening in June (thankfully summer's humidity hasn’t fully kicked in). 

We’re at the southern tip of Battery Park, taking in the views of the Hudson River and yapping at a million miles a minute as we fill each other in on a year’s worth of updates. Around us, fellow picnickers crack open cans of hard seltzer (yes, mildly alcoholic), set up portable speakers, and stage sunset photoshoots to capture golden hour. Sprawling out under the candy-coloured June clouds and donning oversized hoodies, it feels as if we’re back at university.

Moments like this are what I look forward to most when planning my return visits to New York City each year. Most of my friends from university are based out here, so annual trips to catch up with friends are really important to me, and a big reason as to why I like to plan ahead – I booked my flights in February – and set savings aside as part of my budget. This also means, as a regular visitor, I have a pretty good idea of what a trip to New York costs, so read on. 

A city so nice, they named it twice

Over the years, I’ve learned how to spend savvily in this pricey part of the world. New York’s reputation for being expensive rings true, especially when it comes to its tipping culture, which is markedly different to the UK. Everything from taxi rides to takeout coffees seem to prompt you for at least an 18% tip! That’s why I aim to add about 15% to my spending budget, which I keep in my NYC Space in my Starling app (Starling customers can use Spaces to separate money from their main balance for a particular purpose, such as a holiday). 

For a leafy Southwest London homebird like me, four-five days in New York City is plenty. It’s an easy place to get around and you can cover a lot of ground in a well-planned long weekend. If you're anything like me, you may also find that the sensory overload of the-city-that-never-sleeps gets exhausting pretty quickly!

Day 1

• British Airways flight (Economy class): $759.89 and 2,000 Avios points 

• Yellow cab from the airport into the city: $85.94 including tip 

• Picnic supplies from Whole Foods: $31.14

• Subway ride to and from Battery Park: $5.80

• TOTAL: $882.77 (£688.19)*

I always opt for a mid-afternoon flight from London, which gets in early evening NYC time and helps me to stay awake for as long as possible to beat the jetlag. I also always get a yellow cab from JFK to NYC, rather than an Uber or Lyft, because they charge a flat rate ($70 before tolls and tip), no matter where in Manhattan you need to go. 

I’m lucky to have friends who let me crash on their pull-out beds, but on past visits I’ve stayed at Sonder properties (think Airbnb meets hotel) in Flatiron and Midtown (about $150/night), which were more affordable than boutique hotels. The cost of accommodation is also a reason to keep NYC trips short and sweet. If you’re looking for a real treat, The Ned NoMad hotel is my favourite luxury hideout.

Day 2

• Lunch at Junzi Kitchen: $18.46

• Taxi to dinner: $26.20 including tip

• Dinner for two at Sugarfish: $93.63

• TOTAL: $138.29 (£107.81)*

When in NYC, a non-negotiable for me is lunch at one (or two) of its many healthy, fast-casual restaurants. Whether it’s Sweetgreen (build your own salad or protein bowls), DIG, Junzi Kitchen (build your own Asian noodle bowls), Cava, or Inday (Asian-inspired curry bowls with rice and vegetables), a healthy lunch is something I genuinely look forward to on every trip back. They’re also quick, which gives me more time to enjoy exploring the city, and can be taken with you if the weather’s nice and you want to sit in a nearby park – cheaper than dining in.

They’re also affordable, at $13-18, which is very good value when you consider the American-sized portions. Spending less on lunch also means more room in my budget for dinners at more up-market restaurants. This time, I visited Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa in Midtown, a favourite among friends who live nearby (and one that forbids tipping – very unusual, if anything most places now seem to expect higher tips!).

My other big money saving tip for New York is to walk as much as possible. Not only is it free, it’s such a good way to see the city and the fool-proof grid layout of the streets is easy for even newbies to get their heads around. Just remember to wear comfortable shoes and bring a portable charger if you’re relying on Google Maps!

When I met a friend at Columbia University, we lost track of time walking around the beautiful campus and marvelling at the magnificent Butler Library. We jumped in a cab and got there in minutes (again, I opted for a yellow cab – Ubers go crazy with surge pricing in NYC). In London, schlepping across the city can take the best part of an hour, but thankfully that’s unheard of in New York.

Day 3

• Lunch at Sweetgreen: $18.82

• Drugstore essentials at Walgreens: $42.96

• Cocktails at Pebble Bar: $58.14 including tip

• TOTAL: $119.92 (£93.49)*

By the third day of my trip, I’m fully into the swing of New York life, but my Starling account is feeling the pinch. Thankfully, there are lots of free or low-cost activities I can do, which helps balance out the pricier elements of my trip. I’m also lucky that when I do spend money, I avoid extra fees – Starling doesn’t charge you for spending abroad or withdrawing cash overseas.

Here are three of my favourite free things to do in New York:

1. Gallery hopping in the Lower East Side is always a fabulous free alternative to buying tickets for institutions like MoMA, which will set you back $30 if booked in person. Unlike many UK museums that are free to visit, you need to pay for a lot of New York’s biggest galleries and museums.

2. Central Park is a free haven of green space for locals and tourists alike – going on morning runs by the lake here is easy, particularly if you’re staying nearby in Midtown, Upper East Side, or Upper West Side. The people-watching is also 10/10. 

3. The High Line is an immaculately maintained free public park built atop an old elevated rail line — best visited during off-peak hours to avoid hordes of visitors crowding the narrow walkways. The best part about walking the High Line is its multiple entrances and exits, so you can pop back down to street level to grab a coffee or a bagel, and resume your journey whenever you fancy. Here you’ll also spot The Whitney museum, which costs up to $30 if you can spare the cash. 

Another way I save a few cents when I’m in New York is by drinking less alcohol – there’s enough buzz in the air as it is! With so many plans, I want to be well rested – alcohol always lowers my sleep quality, which won't be that great anyway, what with the sirens and constant New York noise. Also, it’s actually illegal to drink alcohol in all New York parks!

That said, Manhattan does have a mean cocktail scene, so I had to make an exception for one of my all-time favourite places: Pebble Bar. You don’t need to book so it’s an easy after-work spot to meet friends for a few inventive cocktails. My go-to is the Green River, a strong gin-based concoction with cucumber, lime, and mint. If the second floor cocktail area is too noisy for your liking (as it often is), ask the host nicely if there are any tables – she might show you up to the third floor, which is more quiet.

Day 4

• Breakfast at Maman: $21.95 including tip

• The Class workout class: $35

• Travel to JFK airport: $12.40 ($2.90 subway, $9.50 AirTrain ticket)

• Starbucks at JFK airport: $6.07

• TOTAL: $63.02 (£49.13)*

I always make it a point to move my body before long-haul travel days. While I’d usually opt for a yoga class, this time I dragged a friend along to experience “The Class” with me in TriBeCa. I won’t give too much away to preserve the mystery of the experience, but if you consider yourself remotely spiritual and love a real sweat, this class is for you. My only regret was devouring a huge portion of avocado toast right before the class, which was quite cardio-intensive! 

My two cents

There is one other thing I want to do differently next time, inspired by my first evening on the West Side Highway. Cosied up on our picnic blanket, we found ourselves surrounded by all kinds of New Yorkers: serious runners, casual cyclists, a group of toddlers crawling fearlessly across the grass, someone practising their guitar. The chaos of the city felt noticeably absent: it is, after all, still just a place that so many call home. It was seeing these slices of daily life unfold that made me want to adopt a more laid-back approach to planning future trips. Next time, I want to be led by a sense of spontaneity and curiosity (with at least one lunch at Sweetgreen).

Looking back over my expenses, I’m glad I set money aside for this trip and built in a buffer for tips in my NYC Starling Space. The memories I made here — especially on a clear evening surrounded by friends that feel like family — were worth every cent.

* USD to GBP currency conversion as of 29th July 2024.