A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers New York City vs. Bonaire for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit New York City or Bonaire?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for New York City and Bonaire. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: New York City or Bonaire?

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.

Bonaire

An island municipality of the Netherlands, Bonaire resides in the Caribbean, east of Central America and north of Venezuela. It is a part of the ABC Islands together with Aruba and Curaçao, and is best known as a tropical vacation destination with many great dive spots, beaches, lagoons, and wildlife.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.


Which place is cheaper, Bonaire or New York City?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in New York City is $363, while the average daily cost in Bonaire is $299. 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 New York City and Bonaire in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    New York City $175
    Bonaire $155
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    New York City $350
    Bonaire $310
Compare Hotels in New York City and Bonaire

Looking for a hotel in New York City or Bonaire? 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.

Hotels in New York City


Hotels in Bonaire


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: New York City Hotel Prices and Bonaire Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    New York City $49
    Bonaire $65
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:

  • Manhattan to LGA: One Way Shared Departure Transfer: $25
  • JFK to Manhattan: One Way Shared Arrival Transfer: $28
  • Shared transfer Newark Airport to Manhattan: $30
  • Private Transfer from Manhattan to NYC Airports (JFK/EWR/LGA): $37
  • Private Departure Transfer Brooklyn to NYC Airports (JFK) (LGA) (EWR): $41
  • Private Transfer from Cape Cruise Port to Newark Airport (EWR): $43
  • Cape Cruise Port to J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK)-Departure Transfer: $43
  • Cape Cruise Port to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) - Departure Transfer: $43
  • Private Transfer from New York to Cape Liberty Cruise Port: $43
  • 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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bonaire

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bonaire:

  • Private Transfers between Bonaire airport and any local address: $40
  • Airport Transfer Return Included: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into New York City or Bonaire?

Prices for flights to both Bonaire and New York 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 day
    New York City $87
    Bonaire $101
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:

  • State of Liberty Boat Tour and New York Pizza Shop Stop: $32
  • The Greenwich Village Food Tour: $39
  • Lower East Side Food Tour: Iconic Eats & NYC History Walking Tour: $60
  • NYC Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour: $63
  • Skip-the-Line Lower East Side Food Tour with Museum Entry: $64
  • 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
  • Chinatown Food Tour with a Chef in Manhattan: $75
  • Sweets and Slices Greenwich Village Walking Food Tour: $75
  • Greenwich Village & SoHo Pizza Walk: $75
  • Brooklyn Pizza Walk: $75

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bonaire

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bonaire.

  • Dinner at Sea: $95

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    New York City $180
    Bonaire $40
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:

  • Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in New York: $4.65
  • Self Guided Central Park Bike or Walking Tour Application: $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: $5.82
  • New York City Audio Tour: $6.37
  • New York Celebrity Chef Self Guided Tour and Exploration Game: $6.99
  • New York City Walking Tour 3h30 and 22 audio reviews: $7.00
  • Central Park Outdoor Escape Adventure: $7.00
  • Discover New Jersey: A Self-Guided Tour: $8.18
  • American Dream TiLT Interactive Museum Ticket: $8.53
  • Romantic New York: Couples Walking Tour & Game: $8.99
  • Living Gluten Free: A Self Guided Tour through Central Park: $9.99

Tours and Activities in Bonaire

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bonaire are as follows:

  • 2 Hours Private Kitesurfing Adventure: $265
  • 4 Hours Open Air Party Bus Tour with Beach Stop in Caribbean: $39
  • 4 hour Individual Island Tour for 1 to 12 persons: $180
  • Aquaspace Sunset Sail and Snorkel Tour on Bonaire with Diner: $130
  • Bonaire Cave Tour: Walk, Climb & Swim: $75
  • Bonaire CaveTour Climb, Snorkel & Explore the Hidden Gems : $83
  • Bonaire Essentials Island Tour: $49
  • Bonaire Landsailing Adventures: $79
  • Bonaire Shore Excursion: The Bonaire Highlights Tour: $83
  • Bonaire island adventure: $110
  • Discover Scuba Diving Experience: $164
  • North & South Highlights Guided Group Tour: $100

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 day
    New York City $29
    Bonaire $33

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
  • NYC Pub Crawl Tour: $30
  • Brooklyn Literary Pub Crawl: $49
  • East Village Gangster Ghost Pub Crawl: $64
  • Underground Brooklyn Walking Brewery Tour: $99


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between New York City and Bonaire, we can see that New York City is more expensive. And not only is Bonaire much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since New York City is in North America and Bonaire is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Bonaire would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bonaire 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 Bonaire.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is New York City Expensive? and Is Bonaire Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, New York City or Bonaire?

New York City has a larger population, and is about 600 times larger than the population of Bonaire. When comparing the sizes of New York City and Bonaire, 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.