Spending money for a week in New York?

[Feofjwonxoaks]

Well 6 days. My partner and I, no children. We'd like to book onto some tours etc. As well. Would need some sort of subway pass.
Want to try new places to eat but i don't think we'll be eating in restaurants for every meal, probably some quick takeaway stuff too.
Wondering if £300 each (obviously converted) would be enough?

No way is £300 enough . I'd be taking at least £2k

I’ve been to New York a few times and the last time in 2019 and we had £500each for 4 nights and was fine. Not shoppers or big spenders but more walking, sight seeing and transport/ food/drinks. I’m not a scrimper on holiday but we don’t do exclusive expensive type places either.

Some things can absolutely be done cheaper . sounds like you really need to do some research! Google /research New York tips on a budget too. Some you tube vlogs may help but if you can afford more I’d take it. With it being post pandemic and the pound being crap you’ll need it!

For me was a waste of money. Honestly there has been better holidays than New York.

We went in June.

Spent a lot more than that! and that’s with pre booking a fair bit before we left. Statue of liberty is around 22 dollars, top of the rock is around 40 dollars each, the 9/11 museum was expensive, the intrepid has free evenings on a Friday I think you’d have to check, we watched a film there was lovely, a bottle of water was 4 dollars, a beer around 10 dollars, and a cocktail can be up to 20 dollars, I had a head ache and the us version of paracetamol was 14 dollars…

It’s around 100 dollars per meal including the tip, and that’s not even at really decent places. At decent places you’re looking between 250-400 and that’s not even the most expensive restaurants. Even general food is expensive I did a picnic in Central Park and it cost be about 80 dollars for the food. You can get some really decent street food but again it’s between 3 to 15 dollars and you can’t be too picky. Los tacos no 1 was good but again nearly 5 dollars for one taco and they are not filling.

get the subway pass it’s about 33 dollars each, even with taking the sub way we walked between 5 and 10 miles a day so take comfy shoes,

before you go work out what you want to do, we did this and put it all on google maps which helped us work out what do each day with the locations.

dont forget sales tax it’s added to everything over a certain amount so what is on a label isn’t what you pay. Macy’s did effectively give me the sales tax back for being English but it depends on who serves you.

there are some fab free things to do, grand central station, dumbo street art, the flat iron building, Brooklyn bridge, Roosevelt’s island and the tram is free, walk the high line etc

have a look on YouTube and find some videos of people who live there, sarah funky and here be barr I think his name is.

I'd guess £150-200 total per day.

Nope you could double that easily and then some, the dollar is awful 1.09 to the pound yesterday. New York is very very spendy. And dont forget to tip

I went to NY 15 years ago and took £500 for 4 nights/5 days (the exchange rate was much better then as well) and it was fine but I didn’t do a lot of shopping. £300 is not enough!

Oh gosh, no, that would be very tight. About $1k per person for 6 days I think. A “normal” restaurant meal out with shared appetiser, mains, one drink each is likely to work out to at least around $80 for two, and that is if you are being quite restrained in what you order and not going anywhere fancy. Museums etc are quite expensive too — we did a one hour tour at the Tenement Museum and that was $30 each!

You could manage for cheaper — eat only at food trucks / markets (of which there are plenty with all kinds of delicious food), go to museums on free days (you will need to research when this is), go to a bar with a great view instead of going to Empire State Building (even cheaper — take in the view from New Jersey or Brooklyn without paying Manhattan prices), but it will take planning and research and a willingness to get off the beaten tourist path.

The combo of inflation and the current exchange rate means you’re going to need way more than you think. $300 per day would still involve budgeting but you could have a nice time on that. $300 for 6 days is laughable unless you only do free stuff (walking basically) and eat shit fast food. DH was there last week and said he spent $37 on a Pret lunch, unsure what he bought and thankfully on expenses, but still, that’s insane!

Not sure if anyone's already mentioned it (not RTFT) but we bought New York city passes before we went; that means you've already paid for some attractions like the Empire State Building, USS Intrepid, Chrysler building etc; there were also some discounts on food places. It was 2015 when we went tho so things may have changed a bit.

OP, I did wonder if this was going to be a stealth boast when I opened the thread. I visit New York a lot with work. A couple of times a month usually.
New York is a wonderful place, but we aren't getting much for our money in the US anymore. You'll definitely want to take more money. Don't ruin your trip by trying to live on a shoe string.

@earsup we went Nov 2007 and the exchange rate was 2.02, we loved it as spent loads in the shops. We got engaged there then planned to get married in Vegas 2009. Exchange rate was down to about 1.7 then and we considered going elsewhere. Cannot believe how awful it is now, I think it was around 1.2 when we went in 2019, we were a lot more careful of our spending that time, we booked lots of Groupon prior to going for various restaurant deal.

$1200 dollars each.

£150 per day and expect to spend it. Even on the days when you are doing free things (walking around, Grand Central Stn, Staten Island Ferry etc) a ‘cheap’ breakfast will be $20/$25 inc tip per person, lunch of a sandwich/coffee/bottle water $30/$35 per person, then add dinner to that.
Be prepared that it’s going to cost around that figure, then you won’t be disappointed once you’re there

wow...i remember that...not sure if i went when exchange was so good...we also bought stuff outside of manhattan to avoid the city sales taxes etc...in about 1989...huge pizza slice and a coffee was about $1.50....thrift stores etc very cheap also in the suburbs...fill a bin bag for $10....we got loads of great 50's vintage baseball jackets and jeans....i think i would be shocked now...!!

I was there in 2018 and it was expensive then but manageable. Now that the pound has plummeted a lot of places, not just the US, are becoming super expensive for anyone earning pounds.

As an ex New Yorker, do the Rockefeller center (top of the rock) not empire state, much better views and you get the Empire State in them in, and can reserve slots. The top viewing deck also isn’t a wire cage like the Empire State so is way better. Take the Staten Island ferry not the liberty island tour, free or cheap and same view. Subway or walk everywhere, it’s so easy. For cheap eats check out xian famous foods, westville, room service Thai, the meatball shop and the grey dog. Stay away from Times Square as much as possible for restaurants, east village places are better and cheaper. It’s expensive but you can get it down. Also the museums generally are free the first or last Friday of the month if that’s when you’re going but check in advance. Grocery shopping is extortionate and a cheap eats place or bodega/deli breakfast or lunch I’d always cheaper. But $300 is definitely nowhere near enough for 8 days. You’ll need at least double that.

We also had some luck in 2005, had no idea but we happened to go during tax free week in January, saved so much off our shopping.

With exchange rate crap, prices are insane in US ATM. You will need to budget £200 per day each or you won't see anything or eat out at all. I would not even contemplate going with exchange rate as it is ATM.

No where near enough! We went this summer and I would say you need to budget at least that a day for two of you...

I'd be wanting £200per day per per person.

You can eat cheaper if you want, you can get pizza and soda for $3, but if you want sit down meals then yes budget much higher. We spent a couple of days there last month on the way back from Florida and it wasn’t cheap

I got back yesterday. Took about $350 for 5 days which was enough for food, some drinks and the subway. No tours. It's more than you think!

Also, don't do top of the rock or empire. Do the edge at Hudson. It's way taller than the others

We spent about £2500 for 8 days for both of us. That is with excursions to the big places. I don't even think £150 each would cover your food for the week!