New York City vs Seattle
The short answer
Seattle is the cheaper trip, by roughly 18% a day — $110–210 against $130–260 mid-range per person. Meals run the other way, though: a cheap plate is $5–12 in New York City against $8–14 in Seattle. Both are at their best in Sep, 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 | 🇺🇸 Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $130–260 | $110–210cheaper |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $5–12cheaper | $8–14 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $220–400 | $180–300cheaper |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $2.90 | $2.75 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $5,800 | ≈ $6,200 |
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$$$Restaurants
🇺🇸 Seattle
Coffee culture, evergreen hills, and water on three sides — a laid-back tech city where good weather is treated like a public holiday.
- The Pink Door$$Nightlife
- Pike Place Chowder$Restaurants
- The Paramount Theatre$$$Theater & shows
- Canon$$$Nightlife
- Salumi$Restaurants
Practicalities
| New York City | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | English, though few cities on earth are more multilingual — you'll hear dozens of languages on any given subway car. | English |
| Time zone | Eastern Time (ET), UTC-5 / UTC-4 with daylight saving | Pacific Time (PT), UTC-8 / UTC-7 with daylight saving |
| Power | Type A/B plugs, 120V — bring a converter if you're arriving from a 220V country | Type A/B plugs, 120V — bring a converter if arriving from a 220V country |
| Tap water | Safe to drink — NYC tap water is famously good, straight from upstate reservoirs | Safe to drink |
The same in both:
- Currency
- US dollar (USD/$)
- Emergency
- 911 police/fire/ambulance