Well, IMO there are SOME things that are "more expensive" in London than in NYC regardless such as the cost of a single Tube/Metro ride: $2.00 in NYC and what is it now, 3 Pounds in London?

yes, I know you can do it more cheaply with travelcards/oyster which I am planning to do next month but in terms of a walk-up buy one ride deal...

I also agree you can easily avoid the 350 Pounds + a night hotel rooms in London and stay cheaper and you can do the same in NYC...

BUT NYC is NOT the same as London and vice versa and thank God so when you go over there (I agree it can be cheaper to fly to London for theatre than going to NYC although half price tickets notwithstanding London isn't the theatre bargain it used to be IMO) you simply resolve that it will probably be pricey.

When I'm zooming around in Fortnum and Mason or soaking up the ambience somehwere else I just am grateful I am able to do so and I don't even THINK (too much) about the prices.

The size, and the options available, in a place make a huge difference in how expensive it is.

"According to the UBS survey, the most expensive cities are Oslo, London, Copenhagen, Zurich, Toky, Geneva and New York."

Of these cities, London and NY are huge and have a lot of options for dining, hotels and shopping and therefore I can do much better financially when I visit them than for example Copenhagen or Zurich. I was just in Copenhagen this summer and I had a hell of a time finding a hotel in the $100-!50 range- yet in London I can do that. There were probably 20 times more websites of hotels to choose from in London than in Copenhagen or Zurich. It's not EASY to find inexpensive lodging in London, but it can be done. In terms of eating - well London has tons of inexpensive options if you're willing to picnic, eat sandwiches (which are great in London), etc. In Copenhagen all I could find in the inexpenisve range were hotdogs.

If you practice the "art" of budget travel (which I define as having a good time, seeing wonderful things but not spending a fortune) it is far easier to do it in either London or New York than in many other places - certainly places on that list above like Copenhagen or Zurich.

In terms of shopping - the person who said "then don't shop on Madison or 5th Ave" said it all. You can buy any given item in NY for either more money or less money than anywhere else - and that includes everything from a slice of pizza to a pocketbook. You just gotta know where to go.

On our 10 day trip through Scotland and England last April, we spent a total of about $3,000 for 2 people. That included airfare from Orlando, van rental (2 others joined us from Japan, fuel and food. Ramada Mt. Royal for $95 per night (crappy hotel but great location); B&B in York, $100 and wonderful; 3 nights B&B in Cotswolds, $190 total and fantastic; 3 nights in London, Thistle Charing Cross for $270 (great hotel, great location). This also encluded entry costs to bunches of stuff in Edinburgh, Roslyn Chapel, Melrose Abbey, York Minster, Stonehenge, lots of stuff in London.

I thought it was pretty darn cheap myself and we had a fantastic time. To be sure, we also do lots of free stuff, like Avebury, old chapels and abbeys and walking around.

Dave

Isabel brings up a good point - you have to consider not just average costs, but the associated variance.

So, place A = average hotel (of given category) at cost 100 widgets +/- 40 widgets means a typical visitor could find a hotel for as little as 60 widgets.

Place B = average hotel cost 100 widgets +/- 10 widgets, means average visitor would likely have to pay at least 90 widgets for a similar category hotel.

I've had more luck finding a lower cost hotel in London than in Manhattan - if personal anecdotes count for anything. Assuming my finding is typical, then maybe the tightly squeezed geography of Manhattan is to blame for its narrower range of prices for budget hotels.

I suppose someone has mentioned it above but I do think it is helpful to remember that what is "low budget" or "reasonable" for some might seem terribly expensive or terribly cheap to others.

And then there are the "preferences"...I tend not to use Priceline for London because I like specific hotels and locations there and am resolved to paying for them but I don't complain about the cost, either. Complaining and remarking are two different things IMO.