Which place is cheaper, New York City or Xi'an?
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 Xi'an 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 Xi'an 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: Xi'an or New York City?
Xi'an
Xi'an is an ancient city in the Shaanxi Province in China. Today it is most notable as the location of the Terracotta Warriors, but for visitors who choose to linger, there is so much more to see and do in the area. The city itself is more than 3,000 years old and for about one thousand years, through 13 dynasties and 73 emperors, it was the capital. Because of its rich history there are many historical ruins and a strong culture in the city. Today the city is a pleasant place to visit, although much of it's influence and power has dwindled. The city has both cosmopolitan and modern areas as well as historic and culturally rich areas. The neighborhoods are diverse and by exploring the city in depth you can learn a little more about what China really has to offer.
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 10-Day Tours in China, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in China, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.
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Xi'an Prices
China PricesNew York City Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayXi'an $112New York City $363
The average daily cost (per person) in Xi'an is $112, 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 Xi'an and New York City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personXi'an $66New York City $175
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomXi'an $132New York City $350
Compare Hotels in Xi'an and New York City
Looking for a hotel in Xi'an 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: Xi'an Hotel Prices and New York City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Xi'an $13New York City $49
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Xi'an
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Xi'an:
- Xianyang/Xi'An to Xianyang Airport(XIY)-Deparure Private Transfer: $47
- Xianyang Airport(XIY) to Xianyang/Xi'An -Arrival Private Transfer: $27
- Xianyang Airport(XIY) to Xianyang/Xi'An -Arrival Private Transfer: $47
- Xianyang Airport XIY to Xianyang/Xi'An-Roundtrip Private Transfer: $94
- Xian: Terracotta Army Ticket （Guided & Transfer Tour Option）: $97
- Xian Xianyang International Airport (XIY) Private Departure Transfer: $40
- Xian Xianyang International Airport (XIY) Private Arrival Transfer: $40
- Xian Terracotta Warriors and City Wall Tour with Airport Transfer: $254
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Tour with Airport Transfer: $216
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Museum Tour with Airport Transfer: $214
- Xian Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Railway Station: $77
- Xian Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport: $77
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:
- Brooklyn Cruise Terminal One-Way Transfer to/from Manhattan: $155
- Cape Cruise Port to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) - Departure Transfer: $42
- Central Park Private Walking Tour with Transfers: $171
- Empire State Building NYC Tour, Pre-booked Tickets, Transfer: $300
- J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Cape Cruise Port - Arrival Transfer: $42
- J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Cape Liberty Port - Arrival Private Transfer: $211
- JFK to Manhattan: One Way Shared Arrival Transfer: $28
- La Guardia Airport to Manhattan Private Transfer by Sedan SUV: $130
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Cape Cruise Port - Arrival Transfer: $42
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Cape Liberty Cruise Port - Arrival Private Transfer: $184
- Luxury Group Airport Transfers and Event Shuttles: $275
- Manhattan to EWR Airport Private Transfer: $190
Is it cheaper to fly into Xi'an or New York City?
Prices for flights to both New York City and Xi'an 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 dayXi'an $23New York City $87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Xi'an
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Xi'an.
- Xi’an：City Wall Multi-Entry or Night Food Tour with Show: $21
- Xi'An: Tang Dynasty Show Ticket w/ Transfer or Dinner: $33
- Top 3 Xian Sites to Terracotta Army & Dinner Show w/ Options: $35
- Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket Optional Dumplings or Royal Dinner: $37
- Tang Dynasty Royal Show Optinal Dinner With Round-trip Transfers: $38
- Xi'an Tang Dynasty Music Dance Show or Dinner Show with Transfer: $39
- Skip The Line Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Or Dinner With Transfer: $39
- Xi'an: Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show with Dinner Option: $40
- Dinner and Show of Tang Dynasty Palace in Xian: $40
- Tang Dynasty Dinner Show with Private transfer: $55
- Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket with Optional Dinner: $57
- Xi’an: Market Tour and Cooking Class with Local Family: $59
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
- Private Pizza Experience (5 tastings) in Manhattan: $45
- Central Park Cafe: Scenic Lunch & Dinner Experience in NYC: $50
- Lower East Side Food Tour: Iconic Eats & NYC History Walking Tour: $51
- New York Pizza and Rats Tour: $55
- NYC Chinatown & Little Italy Food Tour Full Portions, Great Value: $59
- Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Food Tour: Local Eats & Iconic Views: $59
- Homemade Pizza Party in NYC: $63
- New York City's Best Pizza tour - You be the judge!: $68
- NYC: Queens, Chinatown, Little India & Street Food Tour: $69
- NYC: Flushing Chinatown Food Tour – Eat Like a Local: $69
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Xi'an $38New York City $180
Tours and Activities in Xi'an
Here are a few actual costs in Xi'an for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- #1 Bestselling Private Terracotta Army Tours + Customized Xian Tours: $108
- 1 Day Beijing to Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Tour by Air: $779
- 1 Day Private Tour to Terracotta Army & Huaqing Pool, No Shopping: $129
- 1 Day Xian City Highlights Private Tour: $148
- 1 Day Xian Group Tour: Terracotta Warriors & City Wall: $196
- 1 day Adventure Tour of Mount Hua in Xi'an: $85
- 1 day Xi'an Culture and History Discovery Mini Group tour: $112
- 1-Day Private Tour: Mount Huashan With the Lunch from Xi'an: $190
- 1-Day Xi'an City Highlights and Hanyangling Museum Private Tour: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Museum and Banpo Neolithic Village Museum Tour: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Terracotta Warriors,Wild Goose Pagoda and Banpo Village Museum Tour: $100
- 2 Days Xi'an City Tour: $292
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:
- NYC Central Park Scavenger Hunt & Self-Guided Walking Tour: $3.42
- New York Ghost Tour: Self-Guided Haunted Walk: $4.55
- Central Park Stolen Archives: NY Exploration Game and Tour: $4.83
- The Battery: A Self-Guided Audio Tour from Bowling Green Park to Stone St: $5.00
- Self Guided Central Park Bike or Walking Tour Application: $5.00
- Roosevelt Island: An Audio Tour by a Filmmaker: $5.00
- New York: Central Park Walking Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- A New York Date Night Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- Broadway: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of the World's Iconic Theatre District: $5.00
- New York: Wall Street Personalized Self-Guided App Tour: $5.00
- Self Guided Audio Tour of NYC Financial District: $5.00
- New York Kids Quest: Family Walking Adventure: $5.09
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 dayXi'an $7.86New York City $29
Sample the Local Flavors in Xi'an
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Xi'an:
- Xi'an Bar Crawl: Drink, Gaming, Snacks & Meet with Locals: $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 Pub Crawl Tour: $30
- Top Shelf Distillery Tour: $33
- Wicked City Burlesque Show Admission: $33
- NYC Pub Crawl & Rooftop Clubbing Experience: $34
- Cheers to Chinatown Tour and Bar Crawl: $40
- Brooklyn Literary Pub Crawl: $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
- Underground Brooklyn Walking Brewery Tour: $99
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Xi'an and New York City, we can see that New York City is more expensive. And not only is Xi'an much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Xi'an 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 Xi'an would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Xi'an 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 Xi'an.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Xi'an Expensive? and Is New York City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Xi'an or New York City?
New York City has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Xi'an. When comparing the sizes of Xi'an 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.