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Travel budget

How much does a trip to Boston cost?

What a trip to Boston costs, worked out for your days and your party, with every price traced to where it comes from. And then the part most budgets skip: how to actually pay once you are there.

Food, getting around and sights in Boston come to $140 – $150 per person per day. Accommodation, flights and the airport transfer are on top. Prices reviewed: November 2026.

Full Boston guide

Your trip

How much money you still need

Days, people and how you like to travel decide almost everything. Flights are left out: they depend on where you start.

6 nights

Counted at the child fares each operator publishes.

Travel style

Set meals and the odd sit-down dinner, and one paid sight a day.

Accommodation

We have no sample of hotel prices for this city yet, so we will not guess one. Type what you have seen and the lodging tax is worked out from it.

Adjust accommodation, food and the rest

In local currency. We do not estimate this: nobody knows what you will buy.

Already paid for

You still need, flights aside

$1,900 – $2,100

$140 – $150 per person per day · 7 days and 2 people

Expected
$1,900 – $2,100
Most trips land in here
Set aside
$2,100
With this you are unlikely to run short
Cushion, kept apart
$200
10% of the trip
  • Food$1,100 – $1,300
  • Getting around$95 – $200
  • Sights and activities$420
  • Nights out$78 – $190
  • Lodging tax and odds and ends$83 – $95

Of that, in cash: $22 – $240

The cash share is our reading of how each kind of place takes payment, not a measurement. Your own bank may charge on top; this page cannot know that.

  • Accommodation is not in this figure. Add your price per night to include it.
  • Flights are not included.
  • You probably will not spend the cushion. Having it to hand covers a night you had not planned, a taxi, or a changed ticket.
Styles

What a day in Boston costs, by how you travel

Per person per day, two travelling, without accommodation, flights or the airport transfer. A style is not a figure: it is a way of eating, getting around and seeing things, and each one is spelled out below.

Budget

$83 – $120 per person per day

Local food, public transport, the odd paid sight.

FoodLocal and cheap
$53 – $84
Getting aroundPublic transport
$6.80 – $14.00
Sights and activitiesThe odd paid sight
$15
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
$3.70 – $5.70

Mid-range

$140 – $150 per person per day

Set meals and the odd sit-down dinner, and one paid sight a day.

FoodMixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
$82 – $92
Getting aroundPublic transport
$6.80 – $14.00
Sights and activitiesOne paid sight a day
$30
Nights outNow and then
$5.60 – $13.00
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
$5.90 – $6.80

Comfort

$200 – $240 per person per day

The best food level we can price, a taxi when it helps, two paid sights a day.

FoodRestaurants most of the time
$100 – $150
Getting aroundPublic transport, and a taxi now and then
$9.10 – $17.00
Sights and activitiesTwo paid sights a day
$60
Nights outNow and then
$5.60 – $13.00
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
$8.70 – $11.00

A style's total is not the sum of the extremes of its lines: nobody has a trip where everything comes out cheap, or everything dear. “Sundries” is an assumption of ours, 5% of food, transport and sights, not a measurement.

By length of trip

How much money for 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days in Boston

Per person, two travelling together, without accommodation or flights. It is not the daily figure times the days: airport transfers are paid once, so they weigh less the longer you stay.

DaysBudgetMid-rangeComfort
3$250 – $350
$83 – $120 a day		$410 – $460
$140 – $150 a day		$590 – $730
$200 – $240 a day
5$420 – $580
$83 – $120 a day		$670 – $740
$130 – $150 a day		$970 – $1,200
$190 – $240 a day
7$580 – $810
$83 – $120 a day		$950 – $1,100
$140 – $150 a day		$1,400 – $1,700
$200 – $240 a day
10$830 – $1,200
$83 – $120 a day		$1,400 – $1,500
$140 – $150 a day		$2,000 – $2,400
$200 – $240 a day
14$1,200 – $1,600
$83 – $120 a day		$1,900 – $2,100
$140 – $150 a day		$2,800 – $3,400
$200 – $240 a day

Add your accommodation in the calculator above: it is the largest line and the one we cannot source yet.

Prices

What things cost in Boston

Eating and drinking: no official statistic measures what eating out costs here, so these are prices from the menu each place publishes on its own website, and each row says where it comes from. It is a sample, not an average: there are cheaper and dearer places, and tourist areas cost more.

WhatPriceSource
Eating and drinking
Coffee, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter)$2.95From the source Nov 2026
Bottomless coffee, Mike's City Diner$3.50From the source Nov 2026
Weekday breakfast special, 7–11:30 am: three eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, toast and coffee, Mike's City Diner$11.95From the source Nov 2026
Cheeseburger, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter)$5.50From the source Nov 2026
Fried fish sandwich, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter)$12.50From the source Nov 2026
Clam chowder, bowl, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter)$8.95From the source Nov 2026
Clam chowder, bowl, Warren Tavern$12.00From the source Nov 2026
Clam chowder, bowl, Legal Sea Foods$12.00From the source Nov 2026
Lobster roll, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter)$24.95From the source Nov 2026
Lobster roll, Warren Tavern$32.00From the source Nov 2026
Lobster roll, quarter pound, Legal Sea Foods$35.00From the source Nov 2026
8 oz cheeseburger with fries, Mike's City Diner$16.95From the source Nov 2026
Sons of Liberty Burger, Warren Tavern$18.00From the source Nov 2026
Fish and chips, Warren Tavern$25.00From the source Nov 2026
Fish and chips, Legal Sea Foods$30.00From the source Nov 2026
Draught Samuel Adams, 16 oz, Warren Tavern$8.00From the source Nov 2026
Draught Samuel Adams Boston Lager, 16 oz, Legal Sea Foods$9.00From the source Nov 2026
Draught Guinness, 20 oz, Warren Tavern$9.00From the source Nov 2026
Glass of wine, 6 oz, Legal Sea Foods$14.00From the source Nov 2026
Getting around
MBTA bus, single fare$1.70From the source Nov 2026
MBTA subway, single fare$2.40From the source Nov 2026
MBTA 1-day pass$11.00From the source Nov 2026
MBTA 7-day pass$22.50From the source Nov 2026
Taxi, 4 km by day, not counting waiting time$9.00From the source Nov 2026
Silver Line SL1 bus from the airport: free$0.00From the source Nov 2026
Sights
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, adult$30.00From the source Nov 2026

Menu prices here exclude tax and tip: the budget adds the 7% sales tax to everything, plus a 15%–20% tip on what you eat or drink sitting down, the range the tourism office gives. The tip is a custom, not a measured price.

From the source means we read it where it is set: the operator, the bank, the city or the statistics office. Reported means a guide or the press says so and we have not seen the original. Where sources disagree we show both figures and leave the price out of every sum.

What each food level is made of

A food level is not a number we chose. It is two lists of dishes from the table above, a cheap day and a dear one, and the price is the sum.

Local and cheap
From Weekday breakfast special, 7–11:30 am: three eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, toast and coffee, Mike's City Diner + Cheeseburger, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter) + Clam chowder, bowl, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter) + Fried fish sandwich, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter) + Draught Samuel Adams, 16 oz, Warren Tavern ($46.90 on the menu; $53.18 with tax and tip) to Weekday breakfast special, 7–11:30 am: three eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, toast and coffee, Mike's City Diner + Lobster roll, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter) + Clam chowder, bowl, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter) + Sons of Liberty Burger, Warren Tavern + Draught Samuel Adams, 16 oz, Warren Tavern ($71.85 on the menu; $84.47 with tax and tip).
Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
From Weekday breakfast special, 7–11:30 am: three eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, toast and coffee, Mike's City Diner + Lobster roll, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter) + Fish and chips, Warren Tavern + Draught Samuel Adams, 16 oz, Warren Tavern ($69.90 on the menu; $81.54 with tax and tip) to 8 oz cheeseburger with fries, Mike's City Diner + Bottomless coffee, Mike's City Diner + Clam chowder, bowl, Warren Tavern + Lobster roll, Warren Tavern + Draught Samuel Adams, 16 oz, Warren Tavern ($72.45 on the menu; $92.01 with tax and tip).
Restaurants most of the time
From Weekday breakfast special, 7–11:30 am: three eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, toast and coffee, Mike's City Diner + Clam chowder, bowl, Warren Tavern + Sons of Liberty Burger, Warren Tavern + Fish and chips, Legal Sea Foods + Glass of wine, 6 oz, Legal Sea Foods ($85.95 on the menu; $105 with tax and tip) to Weekday breakfast special, 7–11:30 am: three eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, toast and coffee, Mike's City Diner + Clam chowder, bowl, Legal Sea Foods + Lobster roll, quarter pound, Legal Sea Foods + Fish and chips, Legal Sea Foods + Glass of wine, 6 oz, Legal Sea Foods × 2 ($117 on the menu; $149 with tax and tip).
Getting around

Which ticket pays off

A pass is only cheaper past a certain number of rides. This is that number, worked out from the published fares.

  • 1-day pass at $11.00: it pays off from 7 rides a day at $1.70 each.
  • 7-day pass at $22.50: it pays off from 2 rides a day at $1.70 each.

A pass only counts on the lines it covers. Check which ones before you buy.

Accommodation

What the night costs, and the tax on top

There is no open source of hotel prices, and we have not sampled this city yet. So the calculator asks you for the price you have seen instead of printing one that looks plausible.

Lodging tax

    • Places to stay with fewer than 50 rooms: 14.95% of the price
    • Hotels with 50 rooms or more: 16.45% of the price
Saving

What saves money in Boston, and what does not

Each line is a subtraction done with the prices on this page. No tricks: just the sum.

What saves

  • Eating “Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner” instead of “Restaurants most of the time”: $23 – $57 less per person per day.
  • Eating “Local and cheap” instead of “Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner”: $7.50 – $28.00 less per person per day.
  • “Lobster roll, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter)” ($24.95) instead of “Lobster roll, quarter pound, Legal Sea Foods” ($35.00): $10.05 less each time.
  • “Clam chowder, bowl, Sullivan's Castle Island (counter)” ($8.95) instead of “Clam chowder, bowl, Legal Sea Foods” ($12.00): $3.05 less each time.

What does not

  • The 1-day pass ($11.00) on fewer than 7 rides of $1.70 a day: it costs more than paying for each ticket.
Paying

Payments and tipping in the United States

What holds for the whole country: whether to tip.

Tipping

RestaurantsCustomary
Bars and cafésCustomary
HotelsCustomary
TaxisCustomary

If something goes wrong

The numbers and where to go, as the official source publishes them.

Police
911
Fire and ambulance
911

What applies to any trip: before you go, and if you lose your card

Questions

Questions about money in Boston

How much money do you need for a week in Boston?

For seven days, $950 – $1,100 per person on the “Mid-range” style with two travelling. Accommodation and flights are not included. The airport transfer, there and back, is included.

How much money do you need for 3 days in Boston?

For 3 days, $410 – $460 per person on the “Mid-range” style with two travelling. Accommodation and flights are not included. The airport transfer, there and back, is included.

What is a realistic daily budget in Boston?

Per person per day, without accommodation or flights: $83 – $120 on the “Budget” style, $140 – $150 on the “Mid-range” style, and $200 – $240 on the “Comfort” style.

Can you travel to Boston on a budget?

The cheapest style we work out is “Budget”: $83 – $120 per person per day, without accommodation or flights. Local food, public transport, the odd paid sight.

How much does food cost in Boston?

From $53 per person per day (“Local and cheap”) to $150 (“Restaurants most of the time”). The price table has what each dish costs.

How much does transport cost in Boston?

A ride on public transport costs $1.70 – $2.40. “Taxi, 4 km by day, not counting waiting time”: $9.00. The 1-day pass costs $11.00 and pays off from 7 rides a day at $1.70 each.

Is there a lodging tax in Boston?

Yes: 14.95% to 16.45% of the accommodation price, depending on the type.

How much cash should you carry in Boston?

For a week on the “Mid-range” style, about $11 – $120 per person, two travelling. It is our reading of how each kind of place takes payment, not a measurement.

Do you tip in Boston?

Restaurants: customary. Bars and cafés: customary. Hotels: customary. Taxis: customary.

Sources

Where every figure comes from

Each price on this page carries its source. These are all of them. Prices reviewed: November 2026.

The rest of Boston

In the app

This page tells you how much to take. The app keeps count of what you spend.

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