Should you visit Boston or New York City?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Boston and New York City can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Boston
Boston is one of the oldest and most historic cities in New England. It is also the capital of the state of Massachusetts and the largest city in the region. The city proper covers 48 square miles and has a population of more than 600,000. The Greater Boston area has 4.5 million people and is the tenth largest metropolitan area in the country.
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.
Which city is cheaper, New York City or Boston?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Boston is $212, while the average daily cost in New York City is $239. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Boston and New York City in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Boston is about $302 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Travelers usually pay around $274 for a double occupancy room in New York City If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The average traveler spends about $32 per day in Boston for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
The average traveler spends about $38 per day in New York City for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Boston
$32
New York City
$38
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Boston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Boston.
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Italian Food Tour with Pizza, Meats, Cheese, & Bread:
$69
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Boston's North End: Secret Food Tour:
$258
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Boston North End Pizza Tour:
$49
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Boston Buffet Dinner Cruise:
$99
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Boston Dinner Cruise On The Odyssey:
$111
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Historic Taverns and Pizza Tour:
$49
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Haunted Pizza Tour:
$66
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Boston's North End "Little Italy" Pizza, Cannoli, and Freedom Trail Walking Tour:
$49
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Boston's North End Small-Group Walking Food Tour:
$71
-
Fenway Neighborhood Food Tour (Boston):
$79
Typical Food prices in New York City
For New York City, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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:
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Greenwich Village History, Culture, and Food Tour with Local Expert:
$129
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JAPANESE guided tour! Bateaux Dinner Cruise tour with hotel transportation. The best way to enjoy the Manhattan night view from the river & sea. Full course French dinner, live band music included.:
$333
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Limo trip Hotel to Dinner round trip in NEW MKT Limousine:
$481
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Boston is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $27 per person, per day, on local transportation in Boston.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in New York City than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $40 on transportation in New York City on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Boston
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Boston are as follows:
-
Taxi
$35
-
Subway Daily Pass
$9.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Boston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Boston:
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Logan Airport to Boston Hotels Private Transfer:
$123
-
Boston Airport Shared Transfer Service:
$29
-
Boston Private Transfer to Logan Airport (BOS):
$117
-
Boston Airport Private Sedan Transfer:
$143
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Boston Airport BOS:
$28
-
Private Departure Transfer to Boston Airport BOS:
$28
-
Shared Arrival Transfer: Boston Airport to Hotel:
$30
-
Shared Departure Transfer: Hotel to Boston Airport:
$30
-
Airport Transfer by Private Car Service:
$55
-
Private Arrival Transfer Boston Airport to Boston City:
$60
Typical Local Transportation prices in New York City
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in New York City:
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Subway
$4.50
-
Taxi Ride
$8.00
-
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:
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Private Departure Transfer Manhattan to NYC Airports JFK EWR LGA:
$22
-
New York City Shared Shuttle Departure Transfer: Hotel to NYC Airports:
$30
-
Private All Inclusive New York Transfer: Airport or Manhattan to Cruise Port:
$71
-
Private New York airport transfer: New York airport to Manhattan and Brooklyn:
$83
-
Private Transfer from New York City to LaGuardia Airport:
$85
-
Private All Inclusive New York City Airport Arrival Transfer:
$90
-
Private All Inclusive New York City Airport Departure Transfer:
$90
-
Manhattan Private Luxury Transfer to NYC Airports:
$98
-
New York Airport Luxury Departure Transfer via Stretch Limousine, SUV, Sedan:
$100
-
Private Transfer from Manhattan to John F Kennedy Airport JFK by Luxury Car:
$111
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Boston typically cost an average of $20 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in New York City, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $77 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Boston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Boston are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Boston
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Boston are as follows:
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Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$14
-
Sightseeing Trolley Tour:
$47
-
Revolutionary Story Walking Tour:
$50
-
Irish Christmas Carol Holiday Cruise Northern Lights:
$56
-
Weekend Brunch Cruise aboard Classic "Northern Lights":
$74
-
Plimoth Plantation & Plymouth Waterfront Tour from Boston:
$85
-
Classic Bites of Boston Tour & Optional Beer Tasting:
$86
-
Guided Sightseeing Tour with Harbor Cruise:
$145
-
Boston Citywalks: Private Personalized Walking Tour:
$450
-
Historic After Dark Ghosts and Spirits Tour:
$23
Typical Entertainment prices in New York City
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in New York City are as follows:
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Comedy Show Tickets
$56
-
City Map
$8.00
-
Broadway Musical
$111
-
Broadway Show Program
$10
-
Magazine
$6.99
Tours and Activities in New York City
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for New York City are as follows:
-
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island: Ticket Options with Ferry:
$21
-
New York City Lights Schooner Cruise:
$54
-
New York City Sunset Cruise: Sail Schooner Adirondack:
$76
-
Full-Day Boston and Woodbury Shopping Tour:
$128
-
Boston by Rail from New York: Full-Day Round Trip Tour:
$329
-
Lower Manhattan Tour: Wall Street & 9/11 Memorial:
$35
-
From Boston in One Day Tour:
$130
-
NYC: Top of the Rock Observation Deck Timed-Entry Ticket:
$41
-
Niagara Falls, Toronto and 1000 Islands 3-Day Tour from NYC:
$460
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Madison Square Garden All Access Tour and Times Square Meal:
$75
Alcohol
The average person spends about $19 on alcoholic beverages in Boston per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
The average person spends about $23 on alcoholic beverages in New York City per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Boston
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Boston:
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North End Wine Tasting Tour:
$96
-
Back Bay Wine Tasting Tour:
$96
-
Historic Pub Crawl Tour along the Freedom Trail:
$40
-
Craft Brewery Beer Tour:
$82
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South End Wine Tasting Tour:
$96
-
Haunted Boston Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
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Sip of Boston Guided Brewery Tour:
$90
When comparing the travel costs between Boston and New York City, we can see that New York City is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in North America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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