Budget · Boston · United States
Boston on a budget
What a trip to Boston really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: (U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Matthew R. Fairchild/Released) 140704-N-OG138-866, Public domain
Quick answer
Boston is expensive for most international visitors. Budget roughly $110–$170 per person per day on a tight budget, $260–$420 mid-range and $600–$1,500 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $110–$170 a day
- Mid-range
- $260–$420 a day
- Luxury
- $600–$1,500 a day
- Local currency
- USD
- Free sights
- 8
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $110–$170 | $330–$510 | $550–$850 | $770–$1,190 |
| Mid-range | $260–$420 | $780–$1,260 | $1,300–$2,100 | $1,820–$2,940 |
| Luxury | $600–$1,500 | $1,800–$4,500 | $3,000–$7,500 | $4,200–$10,500 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Boston, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Subway ride | about $2.40 |
| Cup of clam chowder | about $8–$12 |
| Lobster roll | about $30–$45 |
| Cannoli | about $5–$7 |
| Museum of Fine Arts adult ticket | about $27–$32 |
| Pint of local beer | about $8–$10 |
| Mid-range hotel, central Boston | about $250–$400 per night |
Money-saving tips
- The Freedom Trail, Boston Common, the Public Garden, the Boston Public Library, Harvard Yard, the Arnold Arboretum and USS Constitution are all free.
- The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is free for anyone named Isabella and for everyone on their birthday.
- Hotel rates are lowest from January to March and highest during May graduations, September conferences and October foliage season.
- Staying in Cambridge, Brookline or near a T stop outside downtown can cut hotel costs.
- The MBTA ferry from Long Wharf to Charlestown costs a subway-level fare and gives harbour views.
- Lunch at the Boston Public Market or a North End pizza counter costs far less than seafood dinners on the waterfront.
Free things to do
- Freedom Trail — A red-brick line in the pavement links sixteen historic sites over about 4 km: Boston Common, the State House, the Granary Burying Ground where Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock are buried, the Old State House near the Boston Massacre site, Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere House, Old North Church and, across the river in Charlestown, USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument.
- Boston Common and Public Garden — Boston Common, set aside in 1634, is the oldest public park in the US.
- Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market — Built in 1742 and known as the Cradle of Liberty for the protest meetings held there before the Revolution, Faneuil Hall still has a public meeting hall above its ground-floor shops.
- USS Constitution — Launched in 1797 and nicknamed 'Old Ironsides' after cannonballs seemed to bounce off her oak hull in the War of 1812, USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.
- Harvard Yard — The historic core of Harvard, the oldest university in the US (founded 1636), is open to walk through, with the John Harvard statue, the columned Widener Library and Memorial Church under the elms.
- Boston Public Library, Central Library — Opened in 1895, Charles McKim's Renaissance-palace library on Copley Square belongs to the first large free municipal library system in the US.
Where to stay on a budget
$$$ · Best for culture, budget and nightlife
Fenway–Kenmore
Fenway Park, the Museum of Fine Arts and student bars on Lansdowne Street
Eating well for less
- North Shore roast beef — Kelly's Roast Beef on Revere Beach, open since 1951, a short walk from the Blue Line.
- Parker House roll — The Omni Parker House's restaurant, and many New England restaurants that bake their own version.
Getting around for less
MBTA 1-day and 7-day passes
Unlimited subway and local bus rides for one or seven days; worthwhile if you ride several times a day.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Boston cost?
About $1,300–$2,100 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $550–$850 on a tight budget.
+Is Boston expensive?
It is expensive for international visitors. The Freedom Trail, Boston Common, the Public Garden, the Boston Public Library, Harvard Yard, the Arnold Arboretum and USS Constitution are all free.
+How much money do I need per day in Boston?
Roughly $110–$170 on a budget and $260–$420 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Boston?
Usually in January.