How I Traveled to NYC for a Weekend with $20 USD

This post may contain affiliate links, which help us generate revenue so that we can keep producing awesome content for you. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for using our links and giving us the opportunity to share a sliver of this great big world with you.

How I Traveled to NYC for a Weekend with $20 USD
How I Traveled to NYC for a Weekend with $20 USD
How I Traveled to NYC for a Weekend with $20 USD

This is perhaps one of our most highly requested posts yet. I had mentioned in an earlier post that I frequently traveled to New York City (NYC) from Boston with $20 USD or less, including all transportation, accommodation, and food. I received an influx of messages asking how it’s possible to spend so little money in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Thus, I’ve put together this step by step guide to show you how I traveled to NYC for a weekend with $20 USD, and how a budget New York City trip can be very feasible for you, too.

Be flexible.

My #1 tip to taking a budget New York City trip is to be flexible. I was often able to find a bus ticket from Boston to NYC for only $2 USD each way. If you look early enough and check different dates, BoltBus will almost always have $1 USD deals from Boston to NYC. You may need to play around with bus stops (there are some in New Jersey, a short train ride from NYC, that may have $1 USD deals when the other locations do not) and dates, but you are bound to be able to find some combination of dates and locations that offers $1 USD tickets. Even after taxes and fees, your total cost for transportation is still less than $5.

Window shopping can be fun too! This is a shot from the Kith store

Find cheap (or free) accommodation.

My tip for securing cheap accommodation is one that may be met with more skepticism. I visited NYC five or six times last year and stayed with Couchsurfing hosts on all but one of those occasions.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Couchsurfing, it is an online platform where locals (“hosts”) offer up a bedroom or a couch for travelers (“surfers”) to spend the night for free. The idea behind it is that surfers will be able to stay with hosts and more deeply immerse themselves in local culture. Many of the hosts on Couchsurfing are people who used to Couchsurf or still Couchsurf when they travel and want to pay it forward. Hosts are almost always interested in becoming friends with their surfers, and some will want to spend a lot of time with you when you stay with them.

I have had only positive experiences from Couchsurfing but have also heard numerous stories from people with horrible experiences. There is definitely an element of danger involved because the app/website allows for free accommodations without performing background checks on the hosts. My advice would be to meet up with the host in a public location prior to staying with them and to trust your gut instinct regarding whether or not it is safe for you to spend the night in their home. Nevertheless, I was able to stay in NYC for free whenever I wanted to because of Couchsurfing.

The view from one of my couchsurfing homes

Eat cheap food.

Food is one area where you can choose to go all out or keep costs low. For me, I chose to not eat out in nicer restaurants because I had been to NYC enough times that I didn’t feel the need to indulge in food each time.

In Chinatown, there is a bakery called Taipan Bakery that has the most delicious baked goods. My favourite pastry from Taipan is the shredded dried pork buns. There are two types, one with a filling and one that’s dry. The one with the filling is amazing, very filling, and only costs $1. One or two of these buns is definitely sufficient for dinner, and I will always eat these when I go. They are almost guaranteed to be sold out if you go after 7 PM, so if you do happen to make it over there, I’d recommend going earlier in the day.

Other places in Chinatown also sell cheap but delicious food, which is a great money saver. If Asian food isn’t what you’re looking for, you can also find affordable food at gyro trucks and hot dog stands, but make sure you’re in a non-touristy area! 

A must-see in NYC

Walk as much as you can.

The only other cost I incurred in NYC was the cost of taking the metro (subway). On warmer days, I would take the metro much less because I don’t mind walking, and I could see more sites by walking than by taking the metro. On colder days, metro costs would be higher because I would choose to walk less. However, you can save on metro costs in general by planning out your day well. For instance, I would plan to visit places closer together on the same day so I could walk rather than take the train more times than necessary. 

Another weird attraction, but visiting your favourite artists graves is always fun too

Enjoy free attractions.

Aside from food, transportation, and accommodation, almost all of the attractions I went to were free. Many museums in NYC, such as the MET and the American Museum of Natural History, have a suggested donation only. While I would love to donate to them, and I always try to give at least a dollar or two, the life of a struggling college student is rough. One day I will go back and pay them back for all of the amazing art they allowed me to see, but for now, all of these things are what allowed me to travel to NYC for a weekend with only $20 USD.

Looking for more fun things to do in NYC? Then you might want to check out these posts:


Like it? Love it? Pin it!