Money, tipping, and prices in Albany
Real 2024 prices for meals, transit, and coffee in Albany, plus the standard tipping percentages nobody spells out for you.
Restaurant check with cash and card on an Albany bar
What things actually cost
Coffee: $4 to $5 at Stacks or Superior Merchandise, $2.75 at Dunkin'. Slice of pizza: $3.50 at DeFazio's. Sit-down lunch: $14 to $22 with a drink. Sit-down dinner at a mid-range restaurant: $30 to $50 per person with one drink. High-end (Cafe Capriccio, 677 Prime, Yono's): $70 to $110 per person. Craft beer at a bar: $7 to $9. Cocktail at a nice bar: $12 to $16.
Tipping
Restaurants: 18 to 20 percent on the pre-tax total. Bars: $1 to $2 per drink or 20 percent on a tab. Rideshare: 15 to 20 percent, tipped in the app. Hotel housekeeping: $3 to $5 a night left on the pillow. Bellhops: $2 a bag. Hairdressers, tour guides: 20 percent. Sales tax in Albany County is 8 percent — it's not included in the menu price.
Cash, cards, and ATMs
Cards work everywhere. A handful of small bars and food carts are cash-only — carry $40 in small bills. ATMs are plentiful; use bank-branded ones (Key Bank, KeyBank, M&T, Chase) to avoid the $3.50 fee at bodega machines.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they set off on this one.
10 percent is standard, not required. Skip it for chain fast food.
Less than Boston or New York City, more than Buffalo or Syracuse. A mid-range 3-day trip runs $150 to $220 per person per day including hotel.
Slightly. A burger at a Central Avenue diner is $12 versus $16 downtown. Hotel gap is bigger — Wolf Road runs $40 to $60 less than State Street.
Yes, US dollars are universal. Some newer restaurants are card-only.
Hotels in Albany
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