How to Spend Less Than $100 a Day in New York as a Tourist in New York

New York City is a dream destination. Those tall buildings that make up beautiful skylines, busy pedestrian streets and lively nightlife make up to why NYC is called ‘the city that never sleeps’.  And because every traveler wants to go to experience how it is like to live a life in New York, the city has significantly increased its cost of living.

This is one of the reasons why while New York is a popular destination for most tourists, some opt not to push through with visiting because of its high costs—including plane tickets, food, accommodation and taxi fare. Everything is expensive! But is high cost going to stop us from experiencing the New York life? Absolutely not!

Visiting NYC for the first time should not scare you; rather, it should excite you because you will be traveling in New York on a shoestring budget!

Below are some tips on where to stay in NYC on a budget and how much to budget for New York on $100 a day.

Find a friend who lives in New York and ask for a place to stay (FREE)

Hotels are expensive. Even in the cheapest city in the poorest country, hotels can eat up a huge fraction of our budget. If you come to think of it, you don’t really need to stay in a 5-star hotel, bathe in a bathtub and sleep like a king in a king-sized bed. All you need is a safe shelter where you can spend the night in.

So instead of booking fancy hotel rooms, open your phone and call your friends who live nearby. You can kindly ask them for a place to stay should you need to rest and just offer a little amount for it. But most of the time, family and friends do that for free. That would save you thousands of dollars.

If you can’t find a place to stay, book an Airbnb room. It’s still a lot cheaper than hotels and they are very safe, too!

Make your own food instead of dining at expensive restaurants ($30)

Sure, part of the New York experience is dining at fancy restos, eating steaks and drinking wine, but that is not practical at all. If you do not want to spend too much in the city, go to the grocery store instead! You can buy cheaper food items from there and just make your own food. But we don’t really want that for an experience, eh?

So instead, find the nearest street food where you get to experience New York from a different perspective. The streets in New York will never bore you. They have countless food trucks where you get to try new food finds for a cheaper price. You can certainly find a decent meal on trucks for only $5 or even less. So for an entire day, you can spare around $30 just for food and you’re good to go!

Avoid expensive transits ($30)

In New York, walking is the way of life. If you’re traveling to NYC for the first time, it is a natural instinct to get on cabs, trains, and buses that will take you to places instantly. While it’s perfectly fine to do so, you may also rent bicycles to take you around the city. Doing so will minimize your expenses and will assure you of the best sights that you will only be able to realize while on bicycles!

There are a couple of bike rentals around the city that would allow you to use their bikes for as low as $10 per person (2 hours), but that price increases depending on the number of hours you use their equipment.  Let’s say 6 hours, that would only be $30 of you exploring New York on your own pace. Wouldn’t that be nice?

This will literally save you from the hassles of taking public vehicles, stopping by a nice landmark and then taking another vehicle to the next destination! Rentals include a map of New York, gears, and a bike lock.

Visit landmarks and parks with no admission fees

There are numerous attractions in New York where you can spend time playing under the sun—for free! Some attractions will require you to spend hundreds of bucks for a ride, but you really don’t need that. A simple visit to some historical landmarks, museums, parks, and bridges will take you down to the city’s rich history.

You can take a stroll in Battery Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, or in Brooklyn Heights. You can also visit the Bronx Museum of the Arts if you like! All of these are free. Don’t forget to go to Central Park and also don’t miss the Statue of Liberty! You can also stay in these spots to take a rest from biking.

Nightlife at clubs ($30)

What is a New York experience without nightlife at the clubs? Surprisingly, there are plenty of cheap clubs in the city where you can find yourself partying the night away. Keybar offers drinks that are $6 or less plus discounts and free shots for birthday parties. This place is cheap but the ratings are very good. People love it here!

You can also hop to Pyramid for more wild party experience! The prices are also low and their ratings are high. First-time visitors would really want to come back to NYC to party!

If you are not a party animal, you can head to Rudy’s Bar & Grill or Fact Cat. These places are a few of the best yet cheap bars to get booze on a chill night. Family trip to NYC on a budget can even cost you less than 80 bucks per person by skipping the clubs and just spend more time in the parks.

One day in New York without breaking the bank almost seems impossible, but with these tips, you can do it! Travelling doesn’t have to be extremely expensive and boring; you just need to use the right resources at the right time! Now you will be able to tour New York on a shoestring budget. Always remember to stay away from extra expenses that you don’t really need.