New York City vs Los Angeles
Which would you pick?
The short answer
Los Angeles is the cheaper trip, by roughly 16% a day — $110–220 against $130–260 mid-range per person. Meals run the other way, though: a cheap plate is $5–12 in New York City against $6–14 in Los Angeles. Both New York City and Los Angeles are at their best in Apr–May, Sep–Nov, so one trip can take in both.
Is New York City cheaper than Los Angeles?
No: Los Angeles is about 16% cheaper than New York City per day, at $110–220 against $130–260 for a mid-range traveller.
- A cheap local meal starts about 17% lower in New York City ($5–12) than in Los Angeles ($6–14).
- A mid-range hotel night starts about 18% lower in Los Angeles ($180–320) than in New York City ($220–400).
- A single transit ride starts about 40% lower in Los Angeles ($1.75) than in New York City ($2.90).
Side by side
New York City and Los Angeles side by side, mid-range per person in US dollars, both costed the same way (how we work these out).
| 🇺🇸 New York City | 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $130–260 | $110–220cheaper |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $5–12cheaper | $6–14 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $220–400 | $180–320cheaper |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $2.90 | $1.75cheaper |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $5,800 | ≈ $5,200 |
What 3 and 7 days cost in New York City and Los Angeles
| Trip, per person | New York City | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| 3 daysmid-range | $390–780 | $330–660 |
| 7 daysmid-range | $910–1,820 | $770–1,540 |
| 3 daysbudget | $240–480 | $195–390 |
| 7 daysbudget | $560–1,120 | $455–910 |
Over a full week New York City costs about $210 more per person than Los Angeles — roughly one extra mid-range day in Los Angeles for the same money.
Against local wages, one mid-range visitor day costs about 3% of an average monthly salary in New York City (≈ $5,800) and 3% in Los Angeles (≈ $5,200).
The cheapest beds listed are $50–90 a night in New York City (Hostel dorm) against $40–70 in Los Angeles (Hostel dorm), while the top tier starts around $600 in New York City and $450 in Los Angeles.
Per person and before flights, from each guide's daily budget, which already includes a mid-range room; budget rows use the guides' 60% budget scale.
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
| Month | New York City | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| January | So-so | So-so |
| February | So-so | So-so |
| March | So-so | Good |
| April | Good | Good |
| May | Good | Good |
| June | Good | Avoid |
| July | Avoid | So-so |
| August | Avoid | So-so |
| September | Good | Good |
| October | Good | Good |
| November | Good | Good |
| December | Avoid | So-so |
Both New York City and Los Angeles are in season in Apr–May and Sep–Nov, the window for a trip that takes in both.
In Jun only New York City is at its best, while Los Angeles's guide doesn't recommend that month.
In Mar it flips: Los Angeles is in season and New York City isn't.
Which one suits you
🇺🇸 Pick New York City over Los Angeles for
- Eating out cheaply: $5–12 in New York City against $6–14 in Los Angeles.
- Nightlife with a different flavour: New York City has Please Don't Tell (PDT) (a hidden speakeasy accessed through a phone booth inside East Village hot dog shop…), where Los Angeles offers Skybar at Mondrian.
- Travelling in Jun, when New York City is in season and Los Angeles isn't.
🇺🇸 Pick Los Angeles over New York City for
- Stretching a budget: a day in Los Angeles runs about 16% less than in New York City.
- Nightlife with a different flavour: Los Angeles has Skybar at Mondrian (an open-air poolside bar on the Sunset Strip that's been a West Hollywood fixture…), where New York City offers Please Don't Tell (PDT).
- Travelling in Mar, when Los Angeles is in season and New York City isn't.
One day in New York City against one day in Los Angeles
- Morning: in New York City, walk the Brooklyn Bridge early, from the Brooklyn side toward Manhattan so the skyline is in front of you, then the 9/11 Memorial; in Los Angeles, Santa Monica: the pier and the Third Street Promenade before the parking fills.
- Midday: in New York City, north through Greenwich Village on foot, with a slice at Joe's Pizza, which is about as cheap as lunch in this city gets; in Los Angeles, south to Venice, on foot or by bike along the beach path, for the boardwalk and the canals.
- Afternoon: in New York City, Midtown: Rockefeller Center, Times Square in passing, then the south end of Central Park while there is still light; in Los Angeles, Inland to Griffith Observatory, which gives you the city and a Hollywood Sign view in one stop.
- Evening: in New York City, a Broadway show; in Los Angeles, Hollywood: dinner at Musso & Frank Grill, then the Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip if you still have energy.
Slot by slot from each guide's one-day plan; the full New York City and Los Angeles itineraries go to five days.
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$$$Restaurants
🇺🇸 Los Angeles
Palm trees, freeways, and the Hollywood dream factory — a sprawling patchwork of beach towns and neighborhoods that only really makes sense once you have a car (or a lot of patience).
- Skybar at Mondrian$$$Nightlife
- Musso & Frank Grill$$$Restaurants
- Hollywood Bowl$$Theater & shows
- No Vacancy$$$Nightlife
- Guelaguetza$$Restaurants
Practicalities
| New York City | Los Angeles | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 LA's large Latino population — many menus and signs are bilingual. |
| 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 |
Currency, Emergency are the same in New York City and Los Angeles; see either guide for the details.
Staying, getting around, money and safety in New York City and Los Angeles
First-timers usually base themselves in Midtown Manhattan or Greenwich Village / West Village in New York City, and in Santa Monica or Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Tipping differs: in New York City, Expected, not optional — 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, 15–20% for taxis/rideshares, $1–2 per drink at bars, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters; in Los Angeles, Expected, not optional — 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, 15–20% for rideshares, $1–2 per drink at bars, and $3–5 cash for valet parking (extremely common in LA).
The New York City guide warns about 4 scams (Unofficial 'CD' or bracelet sellers, Costumed characters in Times Square, Unlicensed 'gypsy cabs'), the Los Angeles guide about 4 (Car break-ins, Unofficial 'tour bus' or map sellers, Costumed characters on Hollywood Boulevard).
Arriving: in New York City, JFK connects via AirTrain + subway (~$10.90, 60–75 min) or a flat-rate yellow cab (~$70 + tolls/tip, ~45–60 min); in Los Angeles, LAX sits fairly centrally but far from everything given LA's sprawl — the LAX FlyAway bus, Metro rail (via the new people mover), or rideshare/taxi (~$35–65 depending on destination and traffic) are the main options.
Day to day, the New York City guide covers getting around by Subway, walking and Uber/Lyft/taxis, the Los Angeles guide by Renting a car, metro rail & buses and Rideshare (Uber/Lyft).
On cash and cards, the New York City guide says cards (and phone tap-to-pay) work essentially everywhere, including the subway — you can tap a contactless card or phone directly at the turnstile via OMNY, no MetroCard needed, while the Los Angeles guide says cards and phone tap-to-pay work everywhere, including rideshares, parking meters, and most food trucks.
For mobile data in New York City, most major US carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) offer tourist eSIMs, or set one up in advance via Airalo or a similar service before you land — pay-as-you-go physical SIMs are also available at airport kiosks and phone shops; in Los Angeles, most major US carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) offer tourist eSIMs, or set one up in advance via Airalo or similar before you land — pay-as-you-go physical SIMs are also available at LAX and phone shops citywide.
On safety, the New York City guide's verdict is “New York City is safe for a major world city, including for solo travelers, and violent crime affecting tourists is rare in the areas visitors actually spend time in” and the Los Angeles guide's is “Los Angeles is generally safe for visitors in the areas tourists frequent (Santa Monica, Hollywood, Downtown's core, Venice's main strip), though petty crime including car break-ins is a real and specific risk — never leave visible valuables in a parked car, even briefly.”
New York City vs Los Angeles: common questions
Is New York City cheaper than Los Angeles?
No: Los Angeles is about 16% cheaper than New York City per day, at $110–220 against $130–260 for a mid-range traveller. A cheap local meal starts about 17% lower in New York City ($5–12) than in Los Angeles ($6–14).
When is the best time to visit New York City and Los Angeles?
New York City is at its best in Apr–Jun and Sep–Nov and Los Angeles in Mar–May and Sep–Nov; the months they share are Apr–May and Sep–Nov.
How many days do you need for New York City and Los Angeles?
The New York City guide recommends four to five days and the Los Angeles guide four to five days, so allow about 8–10 days to see both without rushing.
Can you combine New York City and Los Angeles in one trip?
Yes: New York City and Los Angeles are both in United States, so one set of entry rules covers the whole trip.
More comparisons with New York City or Los Angeles
Or read the guides to the nearby alternatives: