There are many ways to spend a lot of money on a New York City trip to New York on a budget: staying in expensive hotels, eating at high-end restaurants, and seeing Broadway shows can all cost a lot.
But, as any native New Yorker will tell you, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can have a great time exploring the city without spending a lot of money if you know what to do. Trip to New York on a budget.
A number of the most popular landmarks in the city are free to see, and many museums are free or cheaper to access on certain days.
With some help, you can easily get discounted tickets to see top-quality performing arts shows on a trip to New York on a budget. People can watch others in parks, on sidewalks, or on the subway without spending any money.
These are some of the cheap and easy tips on how to have fun in some of the best cities in the world, and have it cheaply a trip to New York on a budget.
Daily costs
A common hostel dormitory: beginning with US$50.
Basic two-person hotel room: A minimum of US$200.
An apartment with self-catering (such as an Airbnb): it starts at US$200.
One-way subway or bus ticket: US$2.90
Coffee from a street cart: US$1.50
A slice of cheese pizza: US$3
A dinner at a restaurant for two: starting at US$80
A beer or pint at the bar: US$8 to US$10
Look for places to stay outside of Manhattan

Searching for places slightly outside the city will help one to get a better deal on lodging trip to New York on a budget.
On the other side of the East River, you can find hotels like the TownePlace Suites by Marriott and the Nesva in Long Island City, Queens, where the prices are a bit lower than in Manhattan.
This area is just a few minutes away from Manhattan by subway. Better low-cost deals can be found in the adjacent Local Hostel.
Pick an airport that works best for you.
Both New York JFK and Newark Liberty airports have train connections to Manhattan. However, you need to buy a separate ticket to get from the terminal to the subway line that will take you to the city. LaGuardia, on the other hand, only needs a single tap that costs US$2.90 a trip to New York on a budget. The free Q70 bus, called the “LaGuardia Link,” takes around 10 minutes to get from the airport terminals to the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue subway station, using special lanes on the highway. From here, you just need to pay one fare on the subway to get to wherever you’re going.

Hotels in Koreatown and upper Chelsea provide excellent value.
In recent years, many simple hotels from international brands have become more common to keep up with the increasing number of people looking for accommodation.
A group of properties in Koreatown, near W 32nd Street, and the northern part of Chelsea provides great value.
Rooms at the hotel on Fifth Avenue typically cost less than US$200 each night. Options such as the Fairfield Inn Suites, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, and other hotels on West 28th and 29th Streets offer good value along with a convenient downtown location.
You can also save money by taking a free ride on the subway and the bus to New York on a budget.
You can come shopping or run some errands in the uptown part by using the subway, and then you can get back to downtown by bus and pay only one fare because you have two trips.
It is free to change any subway or bus line within two hours after your initial use of your MetroCard or tap with your credit card, which allows a two-for-one advantage as long as you are fast.
If you need to buy a gift at the last minute before you leave or want to check if rush tickets are available at a Lincoln Center box office, here’s a money-saving tip to consider.

You do not need to spend the entire amount on a Broadway show.
Except for the biggest, most popular productions, most shows have seats you can buy for less than the listed price.
When buying shows before your trip, make sure to look to find a discount code and redeem it at the box office or online on websites such as BroadwayBox.com or Playbill. Trip to New York on a budget.
If you’re okay with seeing any shows, you can get seats through Broadway Roulette for between $49 and $59 – but you need to book your date ahead of time.
On the other hand, when you are more of going with the flow, TKTS booths have the Times Square and Lincoln Center, where you can find same-day tickets at lower prices all in one place.
January and February are the best times for discounts because it’s a busy period for shows, trying to stay open between the holiday rush and the Tony Awards in late spring.
Research rush tickets
Many Broadway shows sell tickets on the same day for a much lower price than even the cheapest presale tickets; you can check the latest rules on Playbill.com, as they change depending on the show.
Rush seats are only available on specific concerts and cost just 22 to enjoy listening to the exciting music with the New York Philharmonic with same-day rush seats.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music offers rush tickets to students, seniors, and veterans. Maybe the best performance in town is at the city’s most impressive place – the Metropolitan Opera.
This is done by registering online in advance, checking in at the precise 12 o’clock time every day, and buying seats to the particular concert of that day at only 25 each. Now, that’s something to sing about.

Plan ahead and go to museums to save money
The cost to enter New York’s amazing museums – which are all private – has gone up over time, and now it’s usual for an adult ticket to cost about $30.But the big ones all let visitors pay whatever they want, or nothing at all trip to New York on a budget.
The Guggenheim also has free special hours on Mondays and Saturdays, 4 pm-5:30 pm, which is highly suggested to be reserved in advance.
The Whitney Museum of American Art is free on Friday evenings, between 5 pm and 10 pm.
Even though there’s no fee to enter, you have to get a ticket before you come.
The National September 11 Memorial Museum is free, but it requires booking a free ticket and visiting on Monday between 5.30 pm and 7 pm to obtain this ticket.
Book your ticket at 7 am on the Monday most convenient to you, and you will be able to visit the museum.

Consider a multiple-attractionable pass.
Individuals intending to visit large and well-known locations can also have other forms of passes that will enable them to access multiple destinations and end up spending less.
The most favorable price will be determined by how much you bring and the time you will be staying.
The CityPass is popular and offers you discounts to up to 10 attractions to visit in the city, such as the Empire State Building, the Circle Line, and the American Museum of Natural History trip to New York on a budget. Click on any three with the C3 pass or select the complete circuit by clicking on the C All.
Other competitors, like Go City’s New York Pass and the New York Sightseeing Pass, offer even more choices for those who want to see a lot.
The first thing you need to do is to calculate the attractions that are a must-see, then find the option that will best suit you.
Purchase a day pass in the Citi Bike to navigate the city.
You will see blue Citi Bikes everywhere as soon as you begin to explore New York.
New York’s bike-sharing program is very popular and gives the best price for people who live there all year with an annual membership.
But visitors can ride a lot of bikes for a cheaper price by getting a $19 day pass to New York on a budget. Plan an exciting day of exploring Central Park, the Hudson River shoreline, and even some areas in Queens and
Brooklyn by planning 30-minute trips between all of them – and think about consider that the day pass is far cheaper than even a single taxi ride between these far-flung pleasures.
Install the app to be able to use it with ease when traveling around the city.

Get a delicious meal at a great price from a food truck.
Some of the city’s best dishes are available at the curb. Even though there are still problems with getting permits and some fights with fixed stores, the city’s food truck businesses are doing really well.
These moving kitchens give the best taste for the money around. Go to Brooklyn to enjoy amazing Mexican food at Tacos El Bronco.
Greek food doesn’t get any better than what comes from King Souvlaki’s trucks, and it’s really tough to say no to the waffles there, which are packed with sweet toppings from Wafels & Dinges.
These are but three of the limitless options – the bottom line is that if you see a queue in front of a truck, join it.
During happy hour, you can enjoy quality meals at a price lower than usual
Eating out is a big part of New York City life – and these days, it’s also becoming more pricey.
If you take the time to research happy hour deals in the city, you can try out some great restaurants and enjoy a meal that costs much less than a regular dinner.
To illustrate, Mermaid Oyster Bar, located in Greenwich Village, offers delicious seafood in a cool and stylish environment, with the oysters priced at 2 dollars each between 4 pm and 5.30 pm.
These are just some of the ideas on how you can make the most out of your funds when visiting one of the best ones in the world.
These are just some of the ideas on how you can make the most out of your funds when visiting one of the best ones in the world.
Make savings on large baseball matches.
There are two Major League Baseball teams in New York, and the best place to enjoy the sporting culture of the city is at the ballpark in the afternoon.
The cost of tickets for the Yankees and the Mets changes depending on when you buy them, so if you purchase tickets early, you can save money on games.
In case you do not have a specific show in mind, you can purchase the tickets by using Broadway Roulette at a price between 49 and 59 – still, you should reserve your date in advance.
If you really want to watch every play of a Mets game up close, you can buy affordable seats near the Promenade at Citi Field, and then go to a “standing room only” spot for great views of the field.

Parks: The parks of the city offer green spaces.
You can spend an entire week sightseeing at the fantastic parks in New York, and you may be unable to cover everything on offer in the parks.
These are free-of-charge attractions that offer marvelous scenery, serene rural landscapes, and an authentic urban experience.
Take a picnic and relax in the sun at Sheep Meadow in Central Park. Ride the A train and spend the day at a memorable beach day in the Rockaways.
Birdwatch in Inwood Hill Park or in Wild Forest Park in Queens. Reward yourself with a good dinner out after a fantastic, money-saving trip that was just plain great.
Chain drugstores are to be avoided, and they should be replenished at dollar stores.
The chain drugstores such as Duane Reade, CVS, and Rite Aid are found in New York. Even though they have a wide variety of items that are great for city living or traveling, they tend to be quite expensive.
If you need things like toiletries, office supplies, cleaning products, or basic groceries while you’re here, you can save a lot of money by shopping at super-discounted stores like Lot-Less or Jacks.