New York City is one of the world's most expensive cities — reference budget €220-280/day/person for comfortable stay, €150-200 tight budget, €400-600 luxury. Budget pressure comes mainly from accommodation (50-60% of total budget).
Accommodation: 3* Manhattan hotel €200-350/night (Marriott, Sheraton, Hyatt, more affordable Pod Hotels €150-250), 4* boutique €300-500 (The Standard, The High Line, Crosby Street, Mercer), 5* luxury €500-1,200 (legendary 1907 Plaza, Carlyle, St Regis, Pierre, Mandarin Oriental Columbus Circle Central Park view). Airbnb Manhattan €150-300/night (short stays illegal in some buildings, check). Brooklyn Williamsburg value Wythe Hotel €280-450, William Vale €280-400. Long Island City Queens €180-300 (Boro Hotel, Z NYC Hotel, Manhattan view). Hostels HI New York €60-100/night (dorm), Pod 35 €100-180 (individual cabins).
Food: diner breakfast (eggs benedict, pancakes) $15-25/person with coffee + tip, sandwich/salad/halal cart lunch $10-20, restaurant lunch $20-35 pre-tip, mid-range dinner restaurant $50-80 pre-tip 18-20% + 8.875% sales tax (count +27% on menu price), Michelin starred dinner $150-350 (Le Bernardin 3 stars, Per Se 3 stars NYC French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park 3 stars vegan $350+, Daniel 2 stars, Jean-Georges 3 stars). Restaurant tip is non-negotiable 18-20% (servers receive minimum base wage, tip is their main income). Iconic dishes to try: Katz's pastrami sandwich ($30), NY pizza by the slice at Joe's ($3-5), bagel at Russ & Daughters ($5-15), cheesecake at Junior's ($8-12), cupcake at Magnolia Bakery ($4). Food halls: Chelsea Market (food and shopping), Time Out Market Brooklyn (local chef food halls), Eataly (Italian 200 shops), Saturday Smorgasburg Brooklyn (Williamsburg).
Activities: Empire State Building $47, Top of the Rock $40, One World Observatory $44, Summit One Vanderbilt $47 (newest and most photogenic), MET $30, MoMA $25, Guggenheim $25, Whitney $25, AMNH $28, Statue of Liberty + Ellis Island $25, 9/11 Museum $28, Broadway musical $80-300 (TKTS booth Times Square for day-of -30/50%), NBA Knicks Madison Square Garden game $80-400, MLB Yankees $30-300, NHL Rangers $80-300. New York Pass ($149-289 by 1-10 day duration, includes 100+ attractions, cost-effective if planning 4+ attractions/day). CityPASS ($138-150 adults, 5 popular attractions).
Transport: $33 MetroCard 7 days unlimited subway+bus (absolute best deal), Uber $4-25 typical ride, taxi $3-15 Manhattan ride + 50% 8pm-6am surcharge + 18-20% tip. Free Staten Island Ferry. Citi Bike bike $19/day. Airports: JFK → Manhattan AirTrain + subway $11 (1h, cheapest), Uber $60-100 (45 min no traffic, 1h30+ traffic), taxi flat $70 + toll + tip $90. LaGuardia → taxi $50 total (35 min). Newark → AirTrain + NJ Transit $15 (45 min) or taxi $100.
Total budget 5 days for 2 people excl. flights: €2,500-4,000 (mid-range hotel + restaurant dinners + 2-3 museums + 1 Broadway + MetroCard), €4,500-7,000 (4-5* luxury + starred dinners + activity suite).
Read also
- East Coast — The complete region: NYC + Washington + Boston by Acela train 10-14 days.
- United States — Complete country-continent guide: ESTA, currency, regions.
- California — The West Coast alternative: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Yosemite.
- Florida — The beach and Disney option: Miami, Orlando, Keys.