Which place is cheaper, New York City or Melaka?
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 Melaka or New York City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Melaka or New York City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Melaka or New York City?
Melaka
Melaka (or Malacca) is a large city on the western coast of Malaysia about half way between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. This historical city grew up as a result of trading in the region due to its position on the namesake Straights of Malacca, a natural waterway formed from the peninsula of Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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 Malaysia, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Malaysia, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.
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Melaka Prices
Malaysia PricesNew York City Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMelaka $34New York City $363
The average daily cost (per person) in Melaka is $34, 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 Melaka and New York City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMelaka $9.79New York City $175
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMelaka $20New York City $350
Compare Hotels in Melaka and New York City
Looking for a hotel in Melaka 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: Melaka Hotel Prices and New York City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Melaka $2.15New York City $49
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melaka
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Melaka are as follows:
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Taxi$4.90
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Bus Ride$0.37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melaka
Also for Melaka, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- ~Chauffeur: Malacca to Kuantan Transfer [MPV]: $287
- Private Transfer from Malacca Port to Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL): $65
- Private Transfer from Malacca Cruise Port to Subang Jaya city: $236
- Private Transfer from Malacca Cruise Port to Shah Alam City: $236
- Private Transfer from Malacca Cruise Port to Johor Bahru city: $247
- Private Transfer : Taman Negara Kuala Tahan to Cameron Highlands: $170
- Malacca Hotel to Kuala Lumpur Hotel (Door to Door) Transfer: $73
- Malacca City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur Airport 1-way Transfer: $43
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Singapore Car Transfer: $220
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Mersing Transfer [Car]: $214
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Desaru Transfer [Van]: $88
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Desaru Transfer [Car]: $240
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:
- Empire State Building NYC Tour, Pre-booked Tickets, Transfer: $300
- New York J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Baltimore City - Arrival Private Transfer: $296
- NY Kennedy Airport JFK to Baltimore Arrival Private Transfer: $296
- Private Package JFK or LGA (Return Transfers + Contrasts): $295
- Central Park Zoo Skip-the-line Tickets & Private Transfers: $291
- Private Transfer from or to New York to EWR Airport or vice versa: $280
- Newark Intl Airport (EWR) to Cape Liberty Port - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $277
- Airport Limousine Transfer one-way - LaGuardia Airport - Lincoln MKT: $275
- Private Transfer & Express Service for Chinese Consulate New York: $270
- Private Transfer Manhattan to Hamptons or Montauk by Sedan or SUV: $267
- New York City Airport Arrival Transfer by Sprinter LGA JFK EWR: $260
- New York City Airport Departure Transfer by Sprinter LGA JFK EWR: $250
Is it cheaper to fly into Melaka or New York City?
Prices for flights to both New York City and Melaka 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 dayMelaka $21New York City $87
Typical Food Prices in Melaka
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Melaka:
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$7.34
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Dinner at the Market (for Two)$3.18
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Asam Pedas (Fish Curry)$1.47
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Taiwanese Noodle Soup$1.22
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Sitdown Dinner (for Two)$7.83
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melaka
For Melaka, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Rempah Routes Melaka Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $55
- Melaka Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $55
- Small Group Melaka After Dark Food Tour: $75
- Private Traditional Peranakan & Malay Cooking Class in Melaka: $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 Lower East Side Food Tour: $34
- New York Union Square Sweetest Food Tour: Choose Your Own Donuts: $35
- The Greenwich Village Food Tour: $39
- Private Pizza Experience (5 tastings) in Manhattan: $45
- Brooklyn's must-try Pizza Crawl experience (5 top rated slices!): $46
- Lower East Side Food Tour: Iconic Eats & NYC History Walking Tour: $51
- Homemade Pizza Party: $63
- New York City's Best Pizza tour - You be the judge!: $65
- East Village Food Tour | Tasty Tours NYC: $68
- Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Food Tour: Local Eats & Iconic Views: $70
- New York Union Square Food Tour: Delicious Donuts & Sweet Treats: $70
- East Village Food Tour: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Melaka $4.15New York City $180
Typical Entertainment Prices in Melaka
For Melaka, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Maritime Museum Entrance$0.73
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Taming Sari Revolving Tower Entrance$4.90
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Trishaw Tour (One Hour)$11
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Baba and Nyonya Peranakan Museum Entrance$2.45
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Melaka Zoo Entrance$1.71
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Low Cost Kite$0.73
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Malacca Duck Tour$9.79
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Melaka River Cruise (One Hour)$2.45
Tours and Activities in Melaka
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Melaka.
- *13 Hrs Best of Melaka Full Day Flexible Van Tour w' Tour Guide: $84
- Essential Self-Guided Tour of it's UNESCO Heritage Centre: $15
- From Kuala Lumpur Full Day A'Famosa Theme Park Experience: $40
- Malacca City To Kuala Lumpur City EN-ROUTE Putrajaya City Tour: $61
- Malacca City To Kuala Lumpur City En-route Putrajaya Tour: $49
- Malacca Hotels To Kuala Lumpur Hotels En-route Putrajaya Tour: $49
- Malacca Instagram Tour: Top Spots (Private & All-Inclusive): $328
- Malacca Shore Excursion with Tour Guide & Baba Nyonya Lunch: $182
- Malacca To Kuala Lumpur EN-ROUTE Putrajaya City Tour: $61
- Malaysia: A'famosa Melaka Ticket: $18
- Malaysia: Melaka Upside Down House Entry Ticket: $7.21
- Melaka UNESCO City Guided Walking Tour: $5.01
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:
- & Juliet on Broadway Ticket: $92
- "The Met" Metropolitan Museum of Art Exclusive Guided Tour: $133
- "The Met" Metropolitan Museum of Art Tour Semi-Private 8ppl Max: $133
- 1 Day New York Tour from Baltimore: $269
- 1 Day Tour to Philadelphia and Hershey's Chocolate World: $250
- 1 Hour Live Interactive Driving Virtual Tour of Manhattan: $200
- 1 Hour Private Guided Tour: $50
- 1-Day New York City Tour: Liberty Cruise & One World Observatory: $168
- 1-Day New York Highlight Tour: $130
- 1-Day New York In-Depth Tour: $130
- 1-Day New York Insider Tour: $180
- 1-Day Tour to Boston from New York: $104
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 dayMelaka $8.49New 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
- NYC Bar Crawl: Games, Live Music & Underground Nightlife: $28
- New York Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $29
- NYC Pub Crawl Tour: $30
- Top Shelf Distillery Tour: $33
- NYC Pub Crawl & Rooftop Clubbing Experience: $34
- Cheers to Chinatown Tour and Bar Crawl: $40
- NYC Pub Crawl: Midtown/Times Square VIP Access & Prof Photos: $45
- 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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Melaka and New York City, we can see that New York City is more expensive. And not only is Melaka much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Melaka 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 Melaka would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Melaka 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 Melaka.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Melaka Expensive? and Is New York City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Melaka or New York City?
New York City has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Melaka. When comparing the sizes of Melaka 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.