How does tipping work in Boston?

Tip 15 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants, $1 to $2 per drink at bars, and 15 to 20 percent for taxi and rideshare drivers. Tipping is expected and factored into service workers' wages, so budget for it on top of listed prices.

Is the T a good value?

Yes. At $2.40 per ride with a Charlie Card and $11 for a day pass, the T covers subway, bus, and trolley lines across the city. Boston is also compact enough to walk between many downtown stops, so most visitors spend well under $15 a day on transit.

Which museums have free days?

The Museum of Fine Arts is free every Wednesday from 4 to 9 pm. The Institute of Contemporary Art is free on Thursday evenings for visitors 25 and under. Many other museums, including the Harvard museums, offer periodic community free days; check their websites before you go.

Is food expensive in Boston?

Casual dining is comparable to most US cities. A pizza slice is $4 to $5, a bowl of clam chowder $12 to $18, and a food hall meal $15 to $20. Sit-down seafood is where costs climb: a lobster dinner at a waterfront restaurant can top $50. The North End and food halls are the best value for eating well on a budget.

Are Ubers expensive in Boston?

Base fares are reasonable, but surge pricing is common on weekends and around event times, especially near Fenway Park and the Seaport. A standard ride across town runs $10 to $20 without surge. The T is almost always cheaper for getting around the core.

What is the cheapest month to visit Boston?

January through March. Hotel rates drop sharply after the holidays, flights from most US cities are at their lowest, and crowds are thin. Fall foliage season (September to October) and summer are the priciest windows.

Is tap water safe to drink in Boston?

Yes, and it is excellent. Boston's water comes from the Quabbin Reservoir, one of the cleanest municipal supplies in the US. Bring a refillable bottle and skip buying bottled water.

Do you need cash in Boston?

Mostly no. Credit and debit cards are accepted nearly everywhere, including the T (tap to pay). A few small shops, food trucks, and some Chinatown restaurants are cash-only, so carrying $20 to $40 in cash is a good idea but not essential.

Boston city guide

Boston · what it costs

Is Boston Expensive?

More than the US average, but not as bad as New York. A budget traveler does Boston on about $120 a day, and a comfortable mid-range trip runs $250, before flights. Here is exactly where the money goes.

Boston in brief

How much does a trip to Boston cost?

About $1,750 per person for a week at mid-range, plus $200 to $600 for a domestic flight. Budget travelers spend $120 a day; premium trips run $400 or more.

Is $150 a day enough in Boston?

Yes, for a comfortable budget trip. Stay in a hostel or budget hotel ($60 to $90), eat at casual spots and markets ($30 to $40), ride the T ($2.40 a ride), and hit free sights like the Freedom Trail and Boston Common.

Is Boston more expensive than New York?

Slightly cheaper. Hotels average 15 to 20 percent less, meals are comparable for casual dining but cheaper at the mid-range, and transit is $2.40 per ride versus NYC's $2.90.

A day in Boston, three ways

Your daily Boston budget, three ways

Daily spend per person, before flights. Budget travelers do Boston on about $120 a day, mid-range about $250, premium around $400. The bar shows where each dollar goes.

Per day, before flightsStayFoodTransitSights

Where the money goes

What a Boston trip costs, category by category

Hotels and flights are most of the bill. Food is reasonable if you know where to look, transit is a flat $2.40 a ride, and many of the best sights cost nothing.

A passenger airliner descending toward a city at dusk.

Flights$200-600 round-tripDepends where you fly from

Domestic flights are manageable, so watch for sales

From most US cities, round-trip economy runs roughly $200 to $600, cheapest from the Northeast corridor and on budget carriers, higher from the West Coast and in peak summer or fall-foliage season. Winter and early spring see the lowest fares; September and October cost the most.

Typical: $200-600 RT
Cheapest: Jan-Mar
Priciest: Sep-Oct

Spend less on the flight

Fly in the off-season
Airfares drop most in winter and early spring. Fall foliage drives peak pricing from mid-September through October.
Guide coming soon

A modern hotel room with a view of a city skyline through large windows.

Hotels & accommodation$40-350+ / nightThe biggest daily cost

Your hotel is most of your daily spend, and the easiest lever

A hostel runs $40 to $60, a budget hotel $90 to $130, a mid-range 3-star $150 to $250, and a central 4-star $350 and up. Staying outside Back Bay or the Seaport, in neighborhoods like Cambridge or Somerville, cuts the rate without losing walkability or transit access.

Hostel: $40-60
Budget hotel: $90-130
Central 4-star: $350+

Where to stay for less

Stay across the river
Cambridge and Somerville hotels run cheaper than downtown Boston while keeping you a short T ride from everything.
Guide coming soon

A fresh lobster roll on a tray at a casual New England seafood counter.

Food & cheap eats$30-80 / dayReasonable if you know where to look

Casual dining is fair; seafood is the splurge

Coffee runs $4 to $6, a lobster roll $18 to $28, a North End pasta dinner $25 to $40, clam chowder $12 to $18, and a meal at Time Out Market or another food hall $15 to $20. Budget $30 to $40 a day eating casually; you only spend more if you go for sit-down seafood dinners.

Lobster roll: $18-28
Casual day: $30-40
Seafood dinner: $50-80

Eat well for less

Food halls and markets
Time Out Market, Boston Public Market, and Faneuil Hall offer filling meals for $15 to $20 with more variety than a sit-down restaurant.
Guide coming soon
North End pizza and pasta
Boston's Italian quarter serves generous portions at fair prices. A pizza slice is $4 to $5 and a pasta dinner $15 to $25.
Guide coming soon

A subway train at a station platform in a city transit system.

Getting around$5-15 / dayCheap & walkable

The T is affordable and central Boston is walkable

A single T ride is $2.40 with a Charlie Card, and a day pass is $11. A taxi from Logan Airport to downtown runs $25 to $40, with Uber priced similarly. Boston is compact enough that you can walk between many downtown sights and save the T for longer hops.

Single ride: $2.40
Day pass: $11
Airport taxi: $25-40

A tree-lined walkway through Boston Common with city buildings in the background.

Sights & free things$0-34 / sightPlenty free

The best of Boston is free or nearly free

The Freedom Trail, Boston Common, the Public Garden, and the Harborwalk all cost nothing. The MFA is $27 but free on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 9 pm. The New England Aquarium is $34, a Fenway Park tour $25, and a harbor cruise $25 to $45. Many museums offer free or discounted days throughout the year.

Freedom Trail: Free
MFA: $27
Aquarium: $34

Free & cheap things to do

Walk the Freedom Trail
A 2.5-mile red-brick path connecting 16 historic sites, from Boston Common to Bunker Hill, entirely free to follow.
Guide coming soon
Boston Common & the Public Garden
The oldest public park in the US and its manicured neighbor, with the famous Swan Boats in spring and summer.
Guide coming soon
Harborwalk
A free waterfront path stretching from Charlestown to South Boston, with skyline views and public art along the way.
Guide coming soon