New York on a Budget: It's Actually Possible
New York has a reputation for being extortionately expensive, and it can be. It can also be done for $80–$100 a day if you're smart about it. Here's how.
Accommodation
The cheapest way to sleep in New York is a hostel in the East Village or Brooklyn: expect $40–$60/night for a dorm. Private rooms at budget hotels in Queens start at $90. Airbnb has been pricing itself out of the market — check HI Hostels or Generator.
Food
The best food in New York is the cheap food: $1 pizza slices in the East Village, a $7 halal cart lamb over rice with white sauce (the Halal Guys are famous but any Midtown halal cart is excellent), a banh mi in Chinatown for $5, a bagel with lox in the Lower East Side for $8. This city will feed you magnificently for $15–$20/day if you eat like a New Yorker.
What's Free
Central Park. The High Line. The Staten Island Ferry (with views of the Statue of Liberty). Every museum has a pay-what-you-wish option or a free night — look them up. Brooklyn Bridge walk. DUMBO views.
Photos (1)
Tips & Advice
- The subway unlimited weekly pass ($34) pays off after 14 rides.
- Eat dollar pizza slices. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
- The Staten Island Ferry is free and has the best views of Manhattan.
- Check museum free nights — MoMA, the Met, etc. all have them.
Recommendations (2)
The Halal Guys (W 53rd & 6th)
restaurantThe original cart. Lamb over rice with white sauce and hot sauce. Under $8. Eat it on the steps of a nearby building.
The High Line
parkElevated park on a former railway. Go in the morning. Free. Beautiful views of the Hudson.
About the contributor
Marco Rossi
@marcoadventures
Solo backpacker from Rome. Budget travel guru. Fluent in 4 languages & always hungry.