New York City vs San Francisco
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — New York City $130–260, San Francisco $130–250 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Sep–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 | 🇺🇸 San Francisco | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $130–260 | $130–250 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $5–12cheaper | $8–15 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $220–400 | $220–350 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $2.90 | $2.50cheaper |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $5,800 | ≈ $6,800 |
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$$$Restaurants
🇺🇸 San Francisco
Steep hills, fog rolling through the Golden Gate, and a compact grid of neighborhoods that swing from Victorian postcard to tech-boom glass in a few blocks.
- Tonga Room (Fairmont Hotel)$$Nightlife
- Tadich Grill$$$Restaurants
- SHN Orpheum Theatre$$$Theater & shows
- Bourbon & Branch$$$Nightlife
- Swan Oyster Depot$$Restaurants
Practicalities
| New York City | San Francisco | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | English, though few cities on earth are more multilingual — you'll hear dozens of languages on any given subway car. | English, with a large Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish-speaking population |
| 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