New York City vs Las Vegas
The short answer
Las Vegas is the cheaper trip, by roughly 13% a day — $100–250 against $130–260 mid-range per person. Meals run the other way, though: a cheap plate is $5–12 in New York City against $8–15 in Las Vegas. Both are at their best in Apr–May, Oct–Nov, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇺🇸 New York City | 🇺🇸 Las Vegas | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $130–260 | $100–250cheaper |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $5–12cheaper | $8–15 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $220–400 | $90–220cheaper |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $2.90cheaper | $6 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $5,800 | ≈ $3,900 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇺🇸 New York City
The city that never sleeps — Broadway marquees, a skyline you already know by heart, and a subway that gets you anywhere at 3am if you're patient.
- Please Don't Tell (PDT)$$$Nightlife
- Katz's Delicatessen$$Restaurants
- Radio City Music Hall$$$Theater & shows
- Employees Only$$$Nightlife
- Peter Luger Steak House$$$Restaurants
🇺🇸 Las Vegas
Neon, casinos, and round-the-clock spectacle in the middle of the Mojave Desert — a city built entirely to make time disappear, for better or worse.
- Chandelier Bar (The Cosmopolitan)$$Nightlife
- Bacchanal Buffet (Caesars Palace)$$$Restaurants
- "O" by Cirque du Soleil (Bellagio)$$$Theater & shows
- Omnia Nightclub (Caesars Palace)$$$Nightlife
- Lotus of Siam$$Restaurants
Practicalities
| New York City | Las Vegas | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | English, though few cities on earth are more multilingual — you'll hear dozens of languages on any given subway car. | English, with Spanish widely spoken given the large hospitality workforce. |
| Time zone | Eastern Time (ET), UTC-5 / UTC-4 with daylight saving | Pacific Time (PT), UTC-8 / UTC-7 with daylight saving |
| Power | Type A/B plugs, 120V — bring a converter if you're arriving from a 220V country | Type A/B plugs, 120V — bring a converter if arriving from a 220V country |
| Tap water | Safe to drink — NYC tap water is famously good, straight from upstate reservoirs | Safe to drink |
The same in both:
- Currency
- US dollar (USD/$)
- Emergency
- 911 police/fire/ambulance