Which place is cheaper, New York City or Manila?
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 Manila 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 Manila and New York City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Manila or New York City?
Manila
A sprawling metropolis that is home to more than 12 million people, Manila is one huge, misunderstood concrete jungle, full of diverse cultures, traffic, pollution, restaurants, shopping malls, noise and nightlife. If you're looking to soak in culture and feel the vibe of a place rather than seeking a city that specifically caters to tourists, Manila is the place to be. Capital of the Philippines, Manila is also the center for education, business, and transportation.
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 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.
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Manila Prices
Philippines PricesNew York City Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayManila $98New York City $363
The average daily cost (per person) in Manila is $98, 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 Manila and New York City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personManila $50New York City $175
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomManila $100New York City $350
Compare Hotels in Manila and New York City
Looking for a hotel in Manila 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: Manila Hotel Prices and New York City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Manila $13New York City $49
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Manila
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Manila:
- Transfers from Manila, Makati, Taguig and Pasay Hotel to Airport: $50
- Safe and secure Airport Transfer Best in Manila: $216
- Quality Safe and Reliable Manila Airport Transfers: $49
- Private Transfer from Manila Cruise Port to Manila Airport (MNL): $28
- Private Transfer from Manila Airport (MNL) to Manila Cruise Port: $28
- Private One-way Transfer From Manila To Manila Airport: $23
- Private Departure Transfer: All Hotels in Ortigas: $41
- Private Departure Airport Transfer in Manila Bay and Makati Area: $23
- Private Arrival Airport Transfer: All Hotels in Ortigas: $41
- Private Airport Transfer: Metro Manila → NAIA Airport (MNL): $30
- Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Paranaque Private Transfer: $120
- MNL Airport to City Centre Private Transfer: $13
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:
- 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 Manila or New York City?
Prices for flights to both New York City and Manila 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 dayManila $29New York City $87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Manila
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Manila.
- Manila Food Tour: Introduction to Philippine Street Food: $60
- Manila Food Tour: Explore World's Oldest Chinatown: $60
- Ugbo Manila Street Food Tour with Tuktuk Ride: $60
- ⭐ Manila Street Food Tour in the Downtown, Eat and Drink⭐: $62
- Guided Food Tour of Binondo with Tastings: $65
- Street Food tour & Local Jeepney, Tuktuk Ride: $66
- Binondo Chinatown Food Tour with Free Food Samples: $70
- Manila Chinatown Food Tour with Local Guide: $71
- Intramuros and Chinatown Food Tour with Food Samples: $80
- Cultural Dance Show with Dinner in Manila: $105
- A taste of Manila's History & Filipino Culture with Buffet Dinner: $175
- Subic: Sunset Dinner Yacht Cruise from Manila & Clark: $212
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:
- 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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Manila $18New York City $180
Tours and Activities in Manila
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Manila are as follows:
- (Excursion) Day tour in Manila: $258
- A Full Day Tour Adventure From Manila’s History to Volcano Views: $180
- A Night in Old Intramuros Walking Tour: $23
- Amazing Taal Volcano Sightseeing & Pagsanjan Falls Tour 2in1: $125
- Antipolo Day Tour with Cloud 9 and Pinto Art Museum: $80
- BAGUIO CITY DAY TOUR (FROM MANILA): $357
- BANAUE:BATAD Rice Terraces with Sagada 4D3N PRIVATE TOUR: $7,130
- Banaue-Hapao Rice Terraces (Car Rental W/ Manila Tourist Driver): $300
- Cavite Leisure And Farm Tour: $170
- Club Crawl and Party Experience at BGC: $71
- Discover Tagaytay's Countryside: Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $85
- Experience Intramuros with Bamboo Bicycle - Ecotours: $39
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'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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayManila $9.17New York City $29
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 Manila and New York City, we can see that New York City is more expensive. And not only is Manila much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Manila is in Asia 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 Manila would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Manila 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 Manila.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Manila Expensive? and Is New York City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Manila or New York City?
Manila has a larger population, and is about 30% larger than the population of New York City. When comparing the sizes of Manila 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 Manila or New York City?
New York City has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Manila experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Manila or New York City in the Summer?
Both New York City and Manila during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Manila because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Also, most visitors come to New York City for the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In the summer, Manila is around the same temperature as New York City. Typically, the summer temperatures in Manila in July average around 27°C (80°F), and New York City averages at about 77°F (25°C).
New York City gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Manila. Manila usually gets more rain in July than New York City. Manila gets 408 mm (16.1 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 JulyManila 27°C (80°F)New York City 77°F (25°C)
Should I visit Manila or New York City in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Manila and New York City. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Manila year-round. Also, 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 October, Manila is generally much warmer than New York City. Daily temperatures in Manila average around 26°C (79°F), and New York City fluctuates around 57°F (14°C).
Manila gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Manila usually receives more rain than New York City. Manila gets 240 mm (9.4 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 OctoberManila 26°C (79°F)New York City 57°F (14°C)
Should I visit Manila or New York City in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Manila as well as New York City. Manila attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Also, 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. Manila is much warmer than New York City in the winter. The daily temperature in Manila averages around 24°C (76°F) in January, and New York City fluctuates around 31°F (-1°C).
Manila usually gets less rain in January than New York City. Manila gets 17 mm (0.7 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 JanuaryManila 24°C (76°F)New York City 31°F (-1°C)
Should I visit Manila or New York City in the Spring?
Both New York City and Manila are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Manila throughout the year. Also, many travelers come to New York City for the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
In the spring, Manila is much warmer than New York City. Typically, the spring temperatures in Manila in April average around 29°C (84°F), and New York City averages at about 52°F (11°C).
In April, Manila usually receives less rain than New York City. Manila gets 18 mm (0.7 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 AprilManila 29°C (84°F)New York City 52°F (11°C)
Typical Weather for New York City and Manila
| Manila | New York City | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 24°C (76°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) | 31°F (-1°C) | 3.4 inches (86 mm) |
| Feb | 25°C (77°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 33°F (1°C) | 3 inches (77 mm) |
| Mar | 27°C (80°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 42°F (6°C) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) |
| Apr | 29°C (84°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) | 52°F (11°C) | 3.8 inches (98 mm) |
| May | 29°C (83°F) | 142 mm (5.6 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 4.1 inches (105 mm) |
| Jun | 27°C (81°F) | 303 mm (11.9 in) | 72°F (22°C) | 3.2 inches (82 mm) |
| Jul | 27°C (80°F) | 408 mm (16.1 in) | 77°F (25°C) | 4.5 inches (114 mm) |
| Aug | 27°C (80°F) | 452 mm (17.8 in) | 76°F (24°C) | 3.9 inches (99 mm) |
| Sep | 27°C (80°F) | 357 mm (14.1 in) | 68°F (20°C) | 3.7 inches (93 mm) |
| Oct | 26°C (79°F) | 240 mm (9.4 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 3.1 inches (78 mm) |
| Nov | 25°C (77°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) | 47°F (8°C) | 3.9 inches (99 mm) |
| Dec | 23°C (73°F) | 50 mm (2 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.