Which place is cheaper, New York City or Guatemala City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Guatemala City or New York City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Guatemala City or New York City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Guatemala City or New York City?
Guatemala City
Referred to by the locals as "Guate," Guatemala City is the largest and most modern city in Guatemala, as well as its capital. While the atmosphere of the place is big, dirty, and dangerous with city fumes and skyscrapers, it is the hub of the country. It is the place where travelers first step foot into Guatemala and, though it is a place of modern chaos, it does have some of the best galleries and museums as well as a selection of bars, cafes, and restaurants.
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 Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Guatemala, The Best Adventure Tours to Guatemala, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.
-
Guatemala City Prices
Guatemala PricesNew York City Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGuatemala City $56New York City $363
The average daily cost (per person) in Guatemala City is $56, 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 Guatemala City and New York City in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGuatemala City $25New York City $175
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGuatemala City $50New York City $350
Compare Hotels in Guatemala City and New York City
Looking for a hotel in Guatemala City 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: Guatemala City Hotel Prices and New York City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Guatemala City $6.28New York City $49
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guatemala City
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guatemala City:
- Transfer from La Aurora airport to Antigua Guatemala.: $80
- Transfer Private Group Airport to Antigua or Viceversa: $120
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Guatemala City Airport to Hotels: $43
- Private transfer from Airport to Panajachel: $78
- Private Transfers from Guatemala city to Panajachel: $200
- Private Transfer: Guatemala City Airpot(GUA) to Antigua Guatemala: $29
- Private Transfer from La Aurora International Airport to Antigua: $32
- Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Puerto Quetzal Port: $206
- Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Panajachel or Atitlan: $254
- Private Transfer from Guatemala City to Antigua: $74
- Private Transfer from Guatemala Airport GUA to Lake Atitlán: $96
- Private Transfer from Airport to Santa Catarina Palopó: $88
Typical Local Transportation Prices in New York City
Some typical examples of transportation costs in New York City are as follows:
-
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:
- JFK to Manhattan: One Way Shared Arrival Transfer: $28
- Manhattan to JFK: One Way Shared Departure Transfer: $28
- Manhattan to LGA: One Way Shared Departure Transfer: $30
- Shared transfer Newark Airport to Manhattan: $34
- Private Transfer from Manhattan to NYC Airports (JFK/EWR/LGA): $37
- Private Departure Transfer Brooklyn to NYC Airports (JFK) (LGA) (EWR): $41
- NYC: JFK Airport Private Transfer 90-Min FREE Wait Included: $43
- Private Arrival Transfer: NYC Airports (JFK) (LGA) (EWR) to Brooklyn: $44
- NYC Airport Transfer From Newark (EWR) Airport to Manhattan: $44
- J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Cape Cruise Port - Arrival Transfer: $44
- Private Transfer from New York Airport (LGA) to Manhattan Port: $44
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Cape Cruise Port - Arrival Transfer: $44
Is it cheaper to fly into Guatemala City or New York City?
Prices for flights to both New York City and Guatemala City 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
-
Food Meals for one dayGuatemala City $27New York City $87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guatemala City
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guatemala City.
- Small-Group Cooking Class in Antigua from Guatemala City: $120
- Antigua Market, Cooking Class and Choco Museum from Guatemala City: $188
- Pacaya Volcano Vistas + Enjoy Pizza Surrounded by The Volcano: $195
Typical Food Prices in New York City
For New York City, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Gelato$7.50
-
Snacks for Two at Yankees Game$34
-
Coffee$6.53
-
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:
- East Village Noho Food Tour: $39
- The Chinatown, Little Italy, Food Tour: $39
- The Greenwich Village Food Tour: $39
- The Lower East Side Food Tour: $39
- Private Pizza Experience (5 tastings) in Manhattan: $45
- Brooklyn's must-try Pizza Crawl experience (5 top rated slices!): $46
- Lower Manhattan's Ultimate Pizza Crawl experience (5 tastings): $46
- East Village Food Tour in NYC: $50
- Lower East Side Food Tour: Iconic Eats & NYC History Walking Tour: $60
- New York City's Best Pizza tour - You be the judge!: $65
- Asian Food Tour NYC Flushing Chinatown: $69
- Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Food Tour: Local Eats & Iconic Views: $70
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Guatemala City $1.23New York City $180
Tours and Activities in Guatemala City
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Guatemala City are as follows:
- 1 Day Lake Atitlan Tour from Guatemala City: $150
- 2-Day Tour: Antigua Guatemala, Lake Atitlan and Hobbitenango: $299
- 2in1 Tour: Avocado Farm + Private Tour in Antigua Guatemala: $199
- 3-Day Antigua Guatemala and Pacaya Volcano Adventure: $256
- 3-Hour Bike Tour Guatemala City: $60
- Antigua + Guatemala City Full Day Tour - History Lovers Favorite: $245
- Antigua City Tour from Guatemala City: $78
- Antigua Guatemala Full-Day Shared City Tour: $54
- Antigua Guatemala Full-Day Tour from Guatemala City: $79
- Antigua Guatemala NIGHT Photo Tour FROM Guatemala City: $125
- Antigua walking tour from Guatemala City: $90
- Chichicastenango Day Tour from Guatemala City: $115
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:
-
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
For New York City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- New York's Hidden Gems: Self-Guided City Tour: $3.54
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in New York: $4.72
- Roosevelt Island: An Audio Tour by a Filmmaker: $5.00
- Self Guided Central Park Bike or Walking Tour Application: $5.00
- Broadway: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of the World's Iconic Theatre District: $5.00
- A New York Date Night Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- New York: Central Park Walking Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- New York: Wall Street Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- New York World's Fair Site: Explore its utopian future on an audio tour: $5.39
- Central Park Stolen Archives: NY Exploration Game and Tour: $5.91
- Manhattan’s Famous Artists: Exploration Game and Tour: $5.91
- New York Ghost Tour: Self-Guided Haunted Walk: $5.91
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
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayGuatemala City $6.96New York City $29
Sample the Local Flavors in Guatemala City
Also in Guatemala City, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Guatemala City Legends Tour + Craft Beers at El Cadejo Brewery: $105
Sample the Local Flavors in New York City
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in New York City:
- Brooklyn Distillery Tour: $22
- New York Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $29
- NYC Pub Crawl Tour: $30
- Top Shelf Distillery Tour: $33
- #1 NYC Pub Crawl & Rooftop Clubbing Experience: $34
- Cheers to Chinatown Tour and Bar Crawl: $40
- Brooklyn Literary Pub Crawl: $49
- Best of NYC Drag - Drag Bar Crawl with Drink: $49
- Greenwich Village Literary Pub Crawl: $49
- Greenwich Village Piano Bar Crawl: $50
- Broadway Prohibition Pub Crawl: $64
- East Village Gangster Ghost Pub Crawl: $64
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Guatemala City and New York City, we can see that New York City is more expensive. And not only is Guatemala City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Guatemala City is in Central America 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 Guatemala City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Guatemala City 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 Guatemala City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Guatemala City Expensive? and Is New York City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Guatemala City or New York City?
New York City has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Guatemala City. When comparing the sizes of Guatemala City 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.
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.