iGotTripNew York 4-Day Trip Budget Calculator
New York is expensive, but the per-dollar payoff is unmatched: a single $2.90 subway swipe crosses the entire city, $1 pizza slices and halal carts feed you for the price of a latte, and dozens of pay-what-you-wish hours turn premier museums into budget wins. Our 2026 preset maps the real NYC — high ceiling, sharp elbows for value.
Category Breakdown
Travel Style Comparison
$1,547
$773 per person
$2,961
$1,481 per person
$5,854
$2,927 per person
Sample 4-Day Itinerary & Daily Budget
- $1,255
Day 1: Arrival & Midtown
- AirTrain + subway (cheapest from JFK)
- Times Square & Rockefeller Center
- Top of the Rock sunset
✈️ Flight $700🏨 Accommodation $200🍱 Food $160🚃 Transport $44🎫 Activities $40☕ Cafe $44💰 Buffer $67 - $635
Day 2: Lower Manhattan & Harbor
- Statue of Liberty ferry (free Staten Island option)
- Wall Street & 9/11 Memorial
- Brooklyn Bridge walk
🏨 Accommodation $200🍱 Food $160🚃 Transport $44🎫 Activities $120☕ Cafe $44💰 Buffer $67 - $635
Day 3: Central Park & museums
- Central Park loop
- Met or AMNH (pay-what-you-wish for NY/NJ/CT/MA residents)
- Fifth Avenue window browse
🏨 Accommodation $200🍱 Food $160🚃 Transport $44🎫 Activities $120☕ Cafe $44💰 Buffer $67 - $436
Day 4: Brooklyn & neighborhoods
- Brooklyn Bridge Park & DUMBO
- Williamsburg or Chinatown food crawl
- High Line & Hudson Yards
🍱 Food $160🚃 Transport $44🎫 Activities $120☕ Cafe $44💰 Buffer $68
New York Budget FAQ
Is this budget accurate?
It's a reference estimate based on typical category prices by travel style. Actual costs vary with season, exchange rate, and personal habits. Use it as a starting point and edit any line.
How is the budget calculated?
We multiply per-night accommodation by (days - 1), per-day categories by total days, and flight by travelers. A buffer percentage is added as a separate category.
Are flights included?
Yes — a preset round-trip flight per person is included. You can edit the amount to match your actual booking.
Is my data stored when I share?
No server storage. The budget is encoded into the URL hash. Anyone with the link sees the same numbers. Don't enter personal information.
Can I export to Excel?
Yes. Click the Excel button to download a .xlsx file with summary and category breakdown.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, the planner is mobile-first and works in any modern mobile browser.
Do I need to log in?
No login required. The tool runs entirely in your browser.
How much does a New York trip cost?
A 5-day standard-style New York trip for 2 runs about $3,564 total. NYC is the highest-floor budget on our list — lodging near transit in Queens or Jersey City can cut hotel costs by 30-50%.
What's the cheapest way to get from JFK to Manhattan?
Take the AirTrain ($8.50) to Jamaica or Howard Beach, then a $2.90 subway ride — about $11.40 and 75 minutes total. Skip Uber/taxi ($70-100 plus tip); the LIRR from Jamaica is a faster mid-tier option at peak times.
Are New York museums free?
Most are not, but several have pay-what-you-wish windows: MoMA (first Friday evenings), the Guggenheim (select Saturdays), and the Whitney (Friday pay-what-you-wish). The Met and AMNH are pay-what-you-wish only for NY/NJ/CT/MA residents.
How do I eat cheap in New York?
Embrace the classics: $1 pizza slices, chicken-and-rice halal carts ($8-9), bagels with cream cheese ($3-5), and dollar dumplings in Chinatown. Delis and bodegas offer heros and breakfast sandwiches under $7. Avoid Midtown tourist traps.