Which place is cheaper, New York City or Varanasi?
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 Varanasi or New York City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Varanasi and New York City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Varanasi or New York City?
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
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 Bicycle Tours in India, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.
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Varanasi Prices
India PricesNew York City Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVaranasi $31New York City $363
The average daily cost (per person) in Varanasi is $31, 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 Varanasi and New York City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVaranasi $14New York City $175
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVaranasi $28New York City $350
Compare Hotels in Varanasi and New York City
Looking for a hotel in Varanasi 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: Varanasi Hotel Prices and New York City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Varanasi $4.35New York City $49
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.84
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Rickshaw Ride$0.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sunrise Boat Tour and Heritage Walk with transfers: $79
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including transfers: $77
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including Hotel transfers: $69
- Airport Pickup/Drop Transfer Service: $53
- Varanasi Hotels to Varanasi Airport drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer to Hotel / To Airport: $13
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $21
- Spiritual Varanasi - A Most Amazing Heritage Walk with Private Transfer: $99
- Smooth transfer from Varanasi Airport to Hotel: $60
- Private Transfer: Varanasi Station to Hotel: $10
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:
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in New York HTL-APT (JFK,EWR,LGA): $173
- Transfer from Newark Airport to Times Square New York: $150
- Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Guided Tour with Ferry Transfers: $64
- Skip the line One World Observatory Private Tour with Transfers: $296
- Shared transfer Newark Airport to Manhattan: $30
- Private Transfer: Manhattan to JFK, LGA or EWR by Sedan or SUV: $129
- Private Transfer in New York City (JFK/LGA) Airport/Home/Hotel/Work: $180
- Private Transfer from or to New York to EWR Airport or vice versa: $280
- Private Transfer from Newark Int Airport (EWR) to Manhattan Port: $46
- Private Transfer from Newark Airport (EWR) to Cape Liberty Port: $42
- Private Transfer from Newark Airport (EWR) to Brooklyn Port: $62
- Private Transfer from New York City Hotels to Manhattan Port: $46
Is it cheaper to fly into Varanasi or New York City?
Prices for flights to both New York City and Varanasi 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 dayVaranasi $11New York City $87
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$3.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour: Highlights Tour with Tasting &Sunset in Varanasi: $14
- Cooking Class with Sona: $29
- Night Boat Ride, Aarti Ceremony and Dinner: $29
- Ganga Aarti with Street Food Tour of Varanasi: $40
- Half-Day Varanasi Village Tour with Cooking Class & Local Dining: $40
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Shobha: $40
- Traditional Indian Cooking Class with Dinner: $42
- Private Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings & Pickup: $44
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $44
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $50
- Dashashwamedh Ganga Arati from balcony with Street Food Tour: $50
- Indian Cooking Class with Hotel Pickup: $52
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:
- New York Union Square Sweetest Food Tour: Choose Your Own Donuts: $35
- NYC Haunted History and Ghost Tour with Pizza: $39
- Bensonhurst Food Tour: $45
- Central Park Cafe: Scenic Lunch & Dinner Experience in NYC: $50
- NYC Chinatown & Little Italy Food Tour Full Portions, Great Value: $59
- Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Food Tour: Local Eats & Iconic Views: $59
- New York City's Best Pizza tour - You be the judge!: $68
- NYC: Flushing Chinatown Food Tour – Eat Like a Local: $69
- East Village Food Tour: $70
- Greenwich Village & SoHo Pizza Walk: $75
- New York Times Square Food Tour: Delicious Donuts & Sweet Treats: $75
- Brooklyn Pizza Walk: $75
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Varanasi $9.24New York City $180
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.74
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 03 Day Spiritual Tour: Kashi Vishwanath,Ganga Aarti Sarnath”: $269
- 08 Hours : Private - Full Day City Tour Of Delhi: $53
- 08 Hours : Private Full Day City Tour of Jaipur: $90
- 2 Day Private Bodhgaya Tour From Varanasi: $189
- 2 Day Private Mystical Varanasi Tour: $43
- 2 Day Varanasi Day Tour with Boating and English Speaking Guide: $300
- 2 Days Enlightening Bodhgaya Tour from Varanasi: $180
- 2 Days Varanasi City Tour with Evening Aarti and Boat Ride: $100
- 2 Days Varanasi tour package for first timers: $135
- 2 Night 3 Days Spiritual Varanasi with Cruise Ride: $233
- 2-Day Varanasi Experience – Temples, Ghats & Ganga Aarti: $140
- 2-Day Varanasi Heritage & Tradition Guided Tour: $156
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: $90
- "International Express" 7 Train Ultimate Authentic NYC Experience: $55
- 1 Day Tour to Philadelphia and Hershey's Chocolate World: $250
- 1 Hour Private Guided Tour: $50
- 1-Day New York City Tour: Liberty Cruise & One World Observatory: $168
- 1-Day New York In-Depth Tour: $130
- 1-Day New York Insider Tour: $180
- 10+ stops Central Park Pedicab Tour Customizable Landmarks: $250
- 2 Hours Private Guided Tour: $100
- 2 hour Metropolitan Museum of Art Chinese Guided Tour: $103
- 2-Hour NYC Golden Hour Sunset Cruise: $38
- 2-Hour Small Group Central Park Bike Tour: $119
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 dayVaranasi $6.91New 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
- Wicked City Burlesque Show Admission: $33
- NYC Pub Crawl & Rooftop Clubbing Experience: $34
- NYC Pub Crawl: Midtown/Times Square VIP Access & Prof Photos: $45
- Broadway Prohibition Pub Crawl: $64
- East Village Gangster Ghost Pub Crawl: $64
- Underground Brooklyn Walking Brewery Tour: $99
- Full day Long Island Brewery Tour: $150
- Private Pub Crawl with a Local: $175
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Varanasi and New York City, we can see that New York City is more expensive. And not only is Varanasi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Varanasi 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 Varanasi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Varanasi 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 Varanasi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Varanasi Expensive? and Is New York City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Varanasi or New York City?
New York City has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Varanasi. When comparing the sizes of Varanasi 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.