Is It Cheaper to Stay in New Jersey to Visit NYC?

Staying in New Jersey to visit New York City can be cheaper, as long as the hotel sits close to a fast link into Manhattan. Jersey City and Hoboken are roughly 5 to 25 minutes from Lower Manhattan or Midtown on the PATH train, at $3.25 a ride. Weehawken has a 10-minute ferry to West 39th Street, and Fort Lee, Secaucus and the Meadowlands have buses and trains into Midtown. Hotel taxes are close on both sides of the river, so any saving comes from the room rate itself. It works best for travellers with light bags and early nights.

New York is the fourth most searched destination on TravelHack over the last 90 days, and a New York search on our platform typically returns around 460 bookable properties. The more telling number is across the river. Four of the fifteen most-viewed properties on the platform over the last 90 days are in New Jersey, a short train, bus or drive from Manhattan. Members are already looking across the river.

What taxes and fees do you pay on each side of the Hudson?

Tax does not decide this. The two sides land close together.

New York City. According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the city's Department of Finance, a hotel room in the five boroughs carries:

8.875% combined state and city sales tax
5.875% city hotel room occupancy tax, for 14.75% in all
a flat $2 for each room, each night, on rooms costing $40 or more
a flat $1.50 state hotel unit fee for each room, each night

New Jersey. According to the New Jersey Division of Taxation, a hotel room carries 6.625% sales tax plus a 5% State Occupancy Fee. Most towns near the river add a 3% municipal occupancy tax, including Hoboken, Weehawken, Fort Lee, East Rutherford and Ridgefield. That puts a Fort Lee room at 14.625%. Jersey City works differently: it levies its own 6% hotel tax and the state fee drops to 1% there, for 13.625% in total. Hotels in the Meadowlands District, which covers parts of 14 towns including Jersey City, Secaucus, East Rutherford and Ridgefield, can also owe a 3% regional assessment. None of the New Jersey charges is a flat amount per night.

So the percentages are within a few points of each other. A Meadowlands hotel can pay up to 17.625%, against 14.75% plus $3.50 for each room, each night in Manhattan.

Mandatory hotel fees. Some Manhattan hotels add a nightly destination or facility fee that covers things like wifi, the gym and in-room coffee. Since 21 February 2026, a rule from the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection requires any price shown for a hotel stay in the city to include every mandatory fee, with government taxes allowed to be listed separately. A federal rule in force since 12 May 2025 already required hotels nationwide, New Jersey included, to show the total price up front.

How do you get into Manhattan from each New Jersey base?

This is where the choice is made. A cheaper room only helps if the trip in is short, frequent and cheap.

Jersey City and Hoboken, by PATH. The single fare rose to $3.25 in May 2026 and is set to rise each January until 2029. Exchange Place and Grove Street are one and two stops from the World Trade Center, on a line that runs 24 hours. Journal Square to 33rd Street takes about 22 minutes, Hoboken to 33rd Street about 14 minutes, and Newport is one stop from Christopher Street in Greenwich Village.
Weehawken and Hoboken, by ferry. Port Imperial in Weehawken to West 39th Street takes about 10 minutes, and Hoboken to Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan about the same. Ferries cost more than the PATH and stop running late in the evening.
Fort Lee, by bus over the George Washington Bridge. Local buses reach the George Washington Bridge Bus Station in about 10 to 15 minutes, and the A train from 175th Street reaches 42nd Street in about 20 minutes. Direct buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown usually take 35 to 45 minutes.
Secaucus, East Rutherford and Ridgefield, by train or bus. Secaucus Junction is usually 10 to 15 minutes from New York Penn Station by NJ Transit rail. Buses from East Rutherford and from Route 46 in Ridgefield run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, often in 25 to 40 minutes, longer at rush hour. The Meadowlands rail line to the stadium runs on event days only.
Driving. The George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel charge only when you enter New York. In 2026 that is $16.79 with E-ZPass at peak times, $14.79 off-peak, or $23.30 by mail. Driving into Manhattan below 60th Street adds the congestion relief zone toll, $9 for a car at peak times with E-ZPass, less a peak-time credit of up to $3 if you came through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel. Midtown garages often charge $40 to $70 for a day at the gate, less if booked ahead.

A PATH round trip costs $6.50 a person. For one person, a peak-time drive in with E-ZPass plus a day in a Midtown garage at a $40 gate rate comes to more than $60, the price of more than nine PATH round trips. For a family of four, the PATH costs $26 a day, and you skip the traffic and the parking.

The Newark airport bonus. From Jersey City, the PATH runs to Newark Penn Station, which is one NJ Transit stop from the Newark Liberty International Airport station, where the AirTrain connects to the terminals. That one stop is not cheap: the NJ Transit ticket includes the AirTrain access fee, so check the current fare. By road, Jersey City is about 9 miles from the airport.

When are Manhattan hotels cheapest and most expensive?

The calendar moves the price more than the river does, so fix the dates before you pick a side.

January and February are the low point. In 2025 they were the city's lowest and second-lowest months for hotel occupancy, at 70.1% and 73.4%, according to CoStar data cited by the New York State Comptroller.
September and October are peak months. Occupancy reached 86.6% in September 2025, according to CoStar, helped by the United Nations General Assembly, Fashion Week and the US Open, and 89.4% in October. Rates usually jump in the General Assembly's high-level week in late September.
December is often among the most expensive months, with the weeks before Christmas driven by holiday demand.
Fixed high dates include the New York City Marathon on the first Sunday in November, which falls on 1 November in 2026, Thanksgiving week with its parade, and New Year's Eve.

In a peak week, a room across the river gives you a second market to compare. In January, when Manhattan is at its quietest, the gap may not cover the fares.

When does staying in New Jersey stop making sense?

The trade works for some trips and fails for others. It usually fails in these cases:

Late-night returns. PATH runs all night, but late at night the Midtown lines merge into one service via Hoboken and trains run less often. Check the overnight timetable before you plan a late return. Ferries stop late in the evening.
Event nights. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford seats more than 82,000. On a game or concert night, a Meadowlands base puts you among the crowds on the roads and buses.
Families with luggage. Every extra leg is another change with bags and children in tow, and fares multiply by the number of people.
Anyone who wants to walk everywhere. If the plan is to stroll back from a show or a late dinner, the Hudson is in the way.

The in-city alternative. Long Island City in Queens and Brooklyn keep you on the New York City subway, which runs 24 hours, at a $3 fare since January 2026. From Long Island City, the 7 train reaches Grand Central in about 10 minutes. From Downtown Brooklyn, Midtown is usually 20 to 25 minutes by subway. You pay New York City hotel taxes there, but you skip the river crossing.

How do you plan a cheaper week in New York, step by step?

A worked version of the above, for a five-night trip:

Fix the dates first. Avoid late September, marathon weekend, Thanksgiving week, the weeks before Christmas and New Year's Eve if you can. January and February are the cheapest window.
Map where your days are. Lower Manhattan points to Exchange Place or Grove Street in Jersey City. Midtown points to Hoboken, Journal Square, Weehawken or Secaucus. Upper Manhattan points to Fort Lee.
Shortlist on three sides. Pick hotels in Manhattan, in New Jersey within a short walk of a PATH station, ferry or bus stop, and in Long Island City or Brooklyn.
Compare the full cost. Add the room, any mandatory fees, taxes and transport for every person, every day. Two people making two PATH round trips a day spend $26 a day, or $130 over five days.
Check your latest return. Look up the last ferry and the overnight PATH service against your evening plans before you book.
Book refundable, then check again. Rates move, and a refundable booking lets you switch if a better one appears.

Done in that order, the biggest saving is made before you look at a single hotel.

How do TravelHack member rates help in New York?

TravelHack members see member-only rates, with savings of up to 60%* against public rates. Member rates cover hotels on both sides of the river, so a New Jersey shortlist can sit next to a Manhattan one. The timing still does most of the work: a member rate in the General Assembly week is still a rate in the General Assembly week. If a property charges a destination fee, check whether it is included, and compare the full cost of the stay either way.

You can see how membership works on the pricing page, or start with a free trial and see member rates for your own dates. More guides are on the Travel Hacks blog.

*Based on publicly available retail rates for the same properties at the time of booking.

What is the quickest way to pay less for a New York hotel?

Move the trip out of the peak weeks first. Then look across the river at a hotel within a short walk of a PATH station, and compare it with Manhattan on the full cost: room, fees, taxes and fares for everyone travelling. If the gap is real and your nights end before the late-night service thins out, New Jersey is the cheaper base. If not, Long Island City or Brooklyn is the middle ground.

Common questions

Is it cheaper to stay in Jersey City than in Manhattan?

It can be, and any saving comes from the room rate rather than tax. Most Jersey City hotels pay 13.625% in sales and occupancy taxes, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation, or 16.625% in the part of the city inside the Meadowlands District. New York City charges 14.75% plus $3.50 for each room, each night, according to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Exchange Place and Grove Street are one and two PATH stops from the World Trade Center, at $3.25 a ride in 2026, so add fares for every person before comparing.

How much are hotel taxes in New York City?

According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the city's Department of Finance, a New York City hotel room carries 8.875% combined sales tax and a 5.875% city hotel room occupancy tax, 14.75% in all. On top of that come two flat charges for each room, each night: $2 from the city on rooms costing $40 or more, and a $1.50 state hotel unit fee. Government taxes can be listed separately from the room price.

Does the PATH train run all night?

Yes. PATH runs 24 hours a day, but late at night the service is reduced. The Newark to World Trade Center line keeps running, and the Midtown lines merge into a single Journal Square to 33rd Street service via Hoboken, with trains running less often. Check the overnight timetable before you plan a late return.

Do New York City hotels have to show destination fees up front?

Yes. Since 21 February 2026, a rule from the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection requires any price shown for a hotel stay in the city to include every mandatory fee, such as destination, resort or facility fees. Government taxes can be listed separately. A federal rule in force since 12 May 2025 already required total prices up front for hotels across the country.

Is Long Island City or Brooklyn better than New Jersey?

Pick Long Island City or Brooklyn if you plan late nights: the subway runs 24 hours at $3 a ride, and the 7 train reaches Grand Central from Long Island City in about 10 minutes. Pick New Jersey if a lower room rate matters more and your evenings end early. Both sides pay similar hotel taxes.