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London or New York? An honest comparison
The short answer
Pick London for history, royal sights and free world-class museums; on our numbers it is also cheaper, about €256 a day mid-range against €281 in New York. Pick New York for a faster, taller city with Broadway, skyline views and food from every corner of the world at any hour.
London: suits families, first-timers, couples and solo travellers who want history, royal sights, free museums and theatre.
New York: suits couples, solo travellers and friends who want skyline energy, Broadway, nightlife and food at all hours.
Side by side
| London | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-range day* | €257 £219 local | €284 $319 local |
| Budget day* | €133 | €156 |
| Value for money | ●●●●●About €256 a day; free museums offset hotel costs. | ●●●●●About €281 a day; tips and sales tax add more. |
| Crowds (5 = calm) | ●●●●●Major sights and the Tube are busy year-round. | ●●●●●Times Square, Midtown and the subway are crowded constantly. |
| Food | ●●●●●Borough Market, Brick Lane curries and a huge restaurant range. | ●●●●●Pizza slices, bagels, delis and every cuisine, late into the night. |
| Nightlife | ●●●●●Theatre, pubs and clubs across the city. | ●●●●●Broadway, bars and clubs; the city really runs late. |
| Family-friendly | ●●●●●Free museums, parks and child-friendly sights everywhere. | ●●●●●Central Park and museums, but crowds and costs tire families. |
| Getting around | ●●●●●Tube and buses everywhere with contactless fares; long distances. | ●●●●●24-hour subway and grid streets, though stations show their age. |
| Best months | Aug | May |
| Warmest / coolest | Jul 23°C / Jan 7°C | Jul 30°C / Jan 5°C |
| Known for | Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, free world-class museums, West End theatre | Empire State Building, Broadway shows, Brooklyn Bridge, world-class museums |
* Per person per day with two sharing a room: bed, food, sights and local transport, from our London and New York day-cost tables (approximate 2026 prices; other currencies converted at recent rates). Ratings are our editorial judgement.
Which one should you pick?
Pick London if…
- History and royal sights appeal
- you want free top-tier museums
- you are travelling with children
- you want easy day trips to Oxford, Bath or Windsor
Pick New York if…
- you want skyline views and Broadway
- you like nights that run very late
- Food variety is your priority
- you want a fast, high-energy city
Weather month by month
| Month | London high / rainy days | New York high / rainy days |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7°C · 12 | 5°C · 11 |
| Feb | 10°C · 9 | 6°C · 11 |
| Mar | 11°C · 14 | 11°C · 10 |
| Apr | 13°C · 8 | 16°C · 11 |
| May | 17°C · 13 | 21°C · 9 |
| Jun | 22°C · 10 | 26°C · 11 |
| Jul | 23°C · 12 | 30°C · 14 |
| Aug | 22°C · 7 | 29°C · 14 |
| Sep | 21°C · 10 | 25°C · 11 |
| Oct | 17°C · 14 | 19°C · 10 |
| Nov | 11°C · 12 | 12°C · 8 |
| Dec | 9°C · 12 | 9°C · 11 |
Average daily high and number of rainy days. Copernicus ERA5, 2021–2023.
What you will eat
London
Fish and chips · Salt beef bagel · Pie and mash · Full English breakfast · Sunday roast · Curry
Where: Borough Market (Southwark), Brick Lane and Whitechapel, Old Spitalfields Market, Maltby Street Market (Bermondsey)
New York
New York slice · Bagel with cream cheese · Pastrami on rye · Halal cart chicken and rice · Dumplings and roast pork buns · Cannoli
Where: Chinatown and Little Italy (Manhattan), Lower East Side and Essex Market, Chelsea Market, Flushing (Queens)
Doing both in one trip
10 days: 5 in London + 5 in New York
They are about 5,600 km apart, so combining them only makes sense on a longer trip with a transatlantic flight. Start with whichever is nearer home and fly out of the other on an open-jaw ticket.
Getting between them: Direct flight about 8 hours westbound and 7 hours eastbound, plus airport time; many daily flights between Heathrow and JFK or Newark — check current schedules. Distance about 5,570 km as the crow flies. Check current timetables.
- Day 1–5: London — Westminster, the Tower, British Museum, South Bank, a West End show, a day trip to Windsor or Oxford
- Day 6: Fly to New York, arriving the same afternoon, Midtown in the evening
- Day 7: Central Park and the Met
- Day 8: Lower Manhattan, 9/11 Memorial, Brooklyn Bridge walk
- Day 9: High Line, Chelsea Market, a Broadway show
- Day 10: Lower East Side or Queens food, fly home
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Common questions
Is London or New York cheaper?
London, on our mid-range figures: about €256 per person per day against roughly €281 in New York. New York menu prices exclude sales tax, and tipping adds 18–20% to restaurant bills. London's biggest saving is its free national museums. Hotels are expensive in both; staying outside the centre and using public transport keeps costs down.
When is the best time to visit?
Our data marks August for London and May for New York. London is mild, about 23°C in July and 7°C in January, with rain possible in any month. New York swings more: about 30°C and humid in July, and around 5°C in January, sometimes with snow. Late spring and early autumn suit both well.
Which is better for a first big-city trip?
London edges it for families and history lovers, with free museums, easy day trips and a slightly calmer pace. New York suits travellers who want energy: Broadway, the skyline, neighbourhoods like the Lower East Side and food at any hour. Both have excellent public transport and English signage, so neither is hard to navigate.
Do I need a visa for London or New York?
It depends on your passport. Many visitors need an ESTA for the US and an ETA for the UK, both applied for online before travel, while others need full visas. Rules and fees change, so check the official US and UK government websites for your nationality well before booking, and apply only through those official channels.