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Tokyo vs New York City
The short answer
Tokyo is the cheaper trip, by roughly 37% a day — $90–150 against $130–260 mid-range per person. 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.
| 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 🇺🇸 New York City | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $90–150cheaper | $130–260 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $4–8cheaper | $5–12 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $100–200cheaper | $220–400 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $1.20–2.20cheaper | $2.90 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $2,200 | ≈ $5,800 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
Tokyo
JFMAMJJASOND
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
New York City
JFMAMJJASOND
Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
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.
🇯🇵 Tokyo
The world's biggest city, and somehow its most orderly. Cheaper than you expect, cleaner than you imagined, and impossible to see in one trip.
- Golden Gai$$Nightlife
- Tsukiji Outer Market$$Restaurants
- Kabukiza Theatre$$Theater & shows
- Bar High Five$$$Nightlife
- Ichiran (Shibuya)$Restaurants
🇺🇸 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
Practicalities
| Tokyo | New York City | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Japanese. English signage is good in stations; spoken English is limited — translation apps work fine. | English, though few cities on earth are more multilingual — you'll hear dozens of languages on any given subway car. |
| Currency | Japanese yen (¥). US$1 ≈ ¥150 | US dollar (USD/$) |
| Time zone | JST (UTC+9), no daylight saving | Eastern Time (ET), UTC-5 / UTC-4 with daylight saving |
| Power | Type A/B plugs, 100V (US plugs fit) | Type A/B plugs, 120V — bring a converter if you're arriving from a 220V country |
| Tap water | Safe to drink everywhere | Safe to drink — NYC tap water is famously good, straight from upstate reservoirs |
| Emergency | 110 police · 119 fire/ambulance | 911 police/fire/ambulance |
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