Which place is cheaper, New York City or Abu Dhabi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Abu Dhabi or New York City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Abu Dhabi and New York City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Abu Dhabi or New York City?
Abu Dhabi
It doesn't get more "lifestyles of the rich and famous" than a vacation to Abu Dhabi. The federal capital and center of government for the United Arab Emirates is arguably the most modern city in the world.
Abu Dhabi has a population of 1.5 million and provides a home to several oil companies and embassies, but this place is definitely a playground for the world's fanciest tourists. This city has several large projects underway including Yas Island's Formula 1 track and Ferrari theme park.
Note: homosexuality is still outlawed in the UAE with harsh punishments including deportation, fines, jail time or even a death sentence.
New York City
The most populated city in the United States, New York City, sits at the mouth of the Hudson River and encompasses both the island of Manhattan as well as the surrounding land on Long Island, most of which is known as Brooklyn. It's a cultural, culinary, theatrical, and art center that has much to offer domestic and international travelers alike. The city covers an area of 305 square miles and has a population of about 8.2 million people in the city proper with 18.7 million in the metropolitan area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to United Arab Emirates, The Best Tours for Seniors to United Arab Emirates, The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America, and The Best Tours for Seniors to United States of America.
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Abu Dhabi Prices
UAE PricesNew York City Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAbu Dhabi $197New York City $363
The average daily cost (per person) in Abu Dhabi is $197, while the average daily cost in New York City is $363. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Abu Dhabi and New York City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAbu Dhabi $98New York City $175
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAbu Dhabi $196New York City $350
Compare Hotels in Abu Dhabi and New York City
Looking for a hotel in Abu Dhabi or New York City? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Abu Dhabi Hotel Prices and New York City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Abu Dhabi $20New York City $49
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Abu Dhabi
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Abu Dhabi are as follows:
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Car Rental$31
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Taxi to Airport$14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Abu Dhabi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Abu Dhabi:
- Yas Water world Abu Dhabi With Optional Transfer: $105
- Warner Bros General Admission with Transfers: $141
- Warner Bro's with Private Transfers from Dubai: $279
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Abu Dhabi HTL-APT(AUH): $52
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Abu Dhabi APT-HTL(AUH): $56
- Transfer: Abu Dhabi Airport(AUH) to Abu Dhabi City Center: $28
- Transfer in private minivan from Abu Dhabi City - Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH): $58
- Transfer from Abu Dhabi to Dubai City: $150
- Transfer Abu Dhabi City Center to Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH): $28
- Tickets to Global Village with Private Transfer: $95
- Snow Abu Dhabi With Transfer Optional : $87
- Snow Abu Dhabi Tour with Optional Private Transfers: $110
Typical Local Transportation Prices in New York City
Some typical examples of transportation costs in New York City are as follows:
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Subway$4.50
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Taxi Ride$8.00
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Subway$2.50
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New York City
Also for New York City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Manhattan: Bus Transfer from/to Newark Airport: $25
- New York: 1-Way Transfer to/from JFK & Grand Central Station: $27
- Manhattan to LGA: One Way Shared Departure Transfer: $34
- Manhattan to JFK: One Way Shared Departure Transfer : $34
- JFK to Manhattan: One Way Shared Arrival Transfer : $34
- NYC: One-Way Transfer to/from JFK Airport and Manhattan: $35
- Manhattan: Shared Transfer to or from LaGuardia Airport: $35
- Private Transfer from Manhattan to NYC Airports (JFK/EWR/LGA): $38
- NYC: One-Way Shared Transfer to or from Newark Airport: $39
- Transfer between Midtown Manhattan and American Dream : $39
- NYC New York Airport Transfer JFK/LGA/EWR to Manhattan | Brooklyn: $42
- NYC Private Airport Transfer from Newark (EWR) to Manhattan: $43
Is it cheaper to fly into Abu Dhabi or New York City?
Prices for flights to both New York City and Abu Dhabi change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAbu Dhabi $78New York City $87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Abu Dhabi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Abu Dhabi.
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari BBQ Dinner Live Shows Pick & Drop More: $25
- Dubai Marina Dinner Cruise with Live Entertainment: $41
- Dubai Marina luxury Dhow Cruise Dinner (catamaran): $49
- Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari Tour with Shows & Buffet Dinner: $60
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner: $60
- Evening Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with Hot BBQ Dinner : $65
- Grand Mosque, Sheikh Zayed Festival with Dinner: $65
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari (Dune Bashing, BBQ Dinner, Camel Ride & Sand Skii): $80
- Evening Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with BBQ Dinner & Shows: $81
- Abu Dhabi Desert safari with BBQ Dinner,Sandboarding & Camel ride: $90
- Desert Safari Adventure With Dinner In Dubai: $95
- Desert Safari with Sheikh Zayed Festival & Dinner: $95
Typical Food Prices in New York City
For New York City, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Gelato$7.50
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Snacks for Two at Yankees Game$34
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Coffee$6.53
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Smoothie$6.95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in New York City
For New York City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- The Satin Dollz at Brooklyn Deli Times Square Live Show & Dinner: $22
- East Village Noho Food Tour: $26
- New York Greenwich Village Speakeasy and Ghost Tour (with pizza!): $45
- NYC: Greenwich Village Speakeasy & Ghost Tour (with pizza): $45
- Pizza Walking Tour of Downtown Brooklyn: $59
- Made in Brooklyn Food Tour: $65
- East Village NYC Pizza Walking Tour: $65
- Downtown Brooklyn Pizza Walking Tour: $65
- Greenwich Village Pizza Walk: $65
- Greenwich Village NYC Pizza Walking Tour: $65
- Sweets and Slices Greenwich Village Walking Food Tour: $69
- Union Square Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour (Small Group): $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Abu Dhabi $39New York City $180
Tours and Activities in Abu Dhabi
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Abu Dhabi are as follows:
- Abu Dhabi Tour-Sheik Zayed Mosque, Emirates Palace With Louvre Musuem: $115
- Admission Ticket To Qasr Al Hosn Abu Dhabi: $20
- Ferrari World Entrance ticket : $95
- Full Day Abu Dhabi City & Louvre Museum Tour: $90
- Private Full-Day Tour in Abu Dhabi: $279
- Ticket to Louvre Museum, Abu Dhabi: $19
- Yas island abu dhabi 1/2/3 park admission tickets : $95
- 1 Day 2 Yas Island Park Tickets Combo: $130
- 45 minutes Yas Experience: $42
- 8 Hour Ticket/Pass For Yas Water World In Dubai.: $103
- 8 hours Private Tour: Ferrari World and Louvre Museum with Pickup: $270
- 20 Minutes Rolls Royce Jet Car Tour: $204
Typical Entertainment Prices in New York City
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for New York City's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Comedy Show Tickets$56
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City Map$8.00
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Broadway Musical$111
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Broadway Show Program$10
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Magazine$6.99
Tours and Activities in New York City
For New York City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- New York City Personalized Sightseeing Tour 10Hours: $5.00
- 6 Iconic Audio Tours & City Guide App plus AI Question + Answer: $5.00
- Central Park: Self-guided Bike Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in New York: $5.21
- New York World's Fair Site: Explore its utopian future on an audio tour: $5.39
- Central Park Famous Movies Quest Experience in New York: $5.73
- Central Park Shakespeare Quest Experience in New York: $5.73
- Midtown Mob Hits & Hangouts Quest Experience in New York: $6.78
- Alexander Hamilton Outdoor Quest Experience in New York: $6.78
- Manhattan NY Famous Artists Self-Guided Tour and Exploration Game: $6.78
- New York Celebrity Chef Self Guided Tour and Exploration Game: $6.78
- Luxury Horse and Carriage Tours in Central Park: $6.99
For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Things to do in New York City with Kids, Things to Do in Central Park in NYC, and The Best Museums in New York City.
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAbu Dhabi $13New York City $29
Sample the Local Flavors in New York City
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in New York City:
- New York Rooftop Pub Crawl: $1.00
- NYC West Village Pub Crawl: $23
- History Tour Pub Crawl of Historic Stone Street: $25
- Distillery Tour and Tasting: $25
- NYC Pub Crawl and Rooftop Clubbing Experience: $28
- New York Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $32
- NYC Pub Crawl with Rooftop Clubbing Experience: $35
- Cheers to Chinatown Tour and Bar Crawl: $40
- NYC: Manhattan's Only Whiskey Distillery Tour and Tasting: $42
- NYC: Boos & Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $42
- Greenwich Village Literary Pub Crawl: $49
- Greenwich Village Piano Bar Crawl: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Abu Dhabi and New York City, we can see that New York City is more expensive. And not only is Abu Dhabi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Abu Dhabi is in Middle East and New York City is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Abu Dhabi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Abu Dhabi and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in New York City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in New York City than you might in Abu Dhabi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Abu Dhabi Expensive? and Is New York City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Abu Dhabi or New York City?
New York City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Abu Dhabi. When comparing the sizes of Abu Dhabi and New York City, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Abu Dhabi or New York City?
New York City has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Abu Dhabi experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Abu Dhabi or New York City in the Summer?
Both New York City and Abu Dhabi during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Abu Dhabi because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Furthermore, most visitors come to New York City for the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.
It's very hot in Abu Dhabi this time of the year. Abu Dhabi is a little warmer than New York City in the summer. The daily temperature in Abu Dhabi averages around 35°C (95°F) in July, and New York City fluctuates around 77°F (25°C).
New York City gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Abu Dhabi usually gets less rain in July than New York City. Abu Dhabi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while New York City receives 4.5 inches (114 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyAbu Dhabi 35°C (95°F)New York City 77°F (25°C)
Should I visit Abu Dhabi or New York City in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Abu Dhabi and New York City. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Abu Dhabi year-round. Furthermore, the autumn months attract visitors to New York City because of the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In the autumn, Abu Dhabi is much warmer than New York City. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Abu Dhabi in October average around 29°C (84°F), and New York City averages at about 57°F (14°C).
In October, Abu Dhabi usually receives less rain than New York City. Abu Dhabi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while New York City receives 3.1 inches (78 mm) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberAbu Dhabi 29°C (84°F)New York City 57°F (14°C)
Should I visit Abu Dhabi or New York City in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Abu Dhabi as well as New York City. Abu Dhabi attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Additionally, the museums, the Christmas ambience, the shopping scene, the theater shows, and the cuisine are the main draw to New York City this time of year.
It's quite cold in New York City in the winter. In January, Abu Dhabi is generally much warmer than New York City. Daily temperatures in Abu Dhabi average around 18°C (64°F), and New York City fluctuates around 31°F (-1°C).
Abu Dhabi usually gets less rain in January than New York City. Abu Dhabi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while New York City receives 3.4 inches (86 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryAbu Dhabi 18°C (64°F)New York City 31°F (-1°C)
Should I visit Abu Dhabi or New York City in the Spring?
Both New York City and Abu Dhabi are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Abu Dhabi throughout the year. Also, many travelers come to New York City for the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
Abu Dhabi is much warmer than New York City in the spring. The daily temperature in Abu Dhabi averages around 27°C (81°F) in April, and New York City fluctuates around 52°F (11°C).
In April, Abu Dhabi usually receives less rain than New York City. Abu Dhabi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while New York City receives 3.8 inches (98 mm) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilAbu Dhabi 27°C (81°F)New York City 52°F (11°C)
Typical Weather for New York City and Abu Dhabi
| Abu Dhabi | New York City | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 18°C (64°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 31°F (-1°C) | 3.4 inches (86 mm) |
| Feb | 20°C (68°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) | 33°F (1°C) | 3 inches (77 mm) |
| Mar | 23°C (73°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 42°F (6°C) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) |
| Apr | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 52°F (11°C) | 3.8 inches (98 mm) |
| May | 31°C (88°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 4.1 inches (105 mm) |
| Jun | 33°C (91°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 72°F (22°C) | 3.2 inches (82 mm) |
| Jul | 35°C (95°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 77°F (25°C) | 4.5 inches (114 mm) |
| Aug | 36°C (97°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 76°F (24°C) | 3.9 inches (99 mm) |
| Sep | 33°C (91°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 68°F (20°C) | 3.7 inches (93 mm) |
| Oct | 29°C (84°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 3.1 inches (78 mm) |
| Nov | 25°C (77°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 47°F (8°C) | 3.9 inches (99 mm) |
| Dec | 21°C (70°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 36°F (2°C) | 3.4 inches (88 mm) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.