New York was the most expensive U.S. city for business travel in 2024, though the list of 10 most expensive cities was not restricted to major gateway markets, according to data from global corporate travel consortium Hickory Global Partners. Rome, meanwhile, led the list of most expensive cities outside of the United States.
Hickory's Most Expensive Cities
Most Expensive U.S. Cities
- New York
- Cambridge, Mass.
- Boston
- Washington, D.C.
- San Francisco
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Chicago
- Santa Clara, Calif.
- Las Vegas
- Arlington, Va.
Most Expensive Non-U.S. Cities
- Rome
- London
- Paris
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Zurich
- Milan
- Geneva
- Tokyo
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Hong Kong
Also the most expensive U.S. city in BTN's recently published 2025 Corporate Travel Index, New York's ranking at the top of Hickory's list with an average daily rate of spend of $447.51—based on 2024 booking data in Hickory's platform for agencies, corporate travel departments and corporations—is not surprising, nor are some of the other major cities on the list including Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Chicago, ranked third, fourth, fifth and seventh, respectively. However, Hickory's list also has some "noteworthy additions," according to the alliance.
Anchorage, Alaska, ranked sixth on Hickory's list, boosted by a growing tourism industry in the state as well as serving as home to "one of the busiest cargo airports in the world, and [it] is a vital stop for businesses involved in international shipping and logistics," according to Hickory. Santa Clara, Calif., a growing hub for tech companies, ranked eighth on the list.
Outside of the U.S., Rome, with an average daily rate of spend of $522.49, was just above London—the most expensive city per BTN's CTI—on Hickory's list. The CTI had noted that rising hotel rates had helped give Rome one of the highest year-over-year increase in costs in the fourth quarter of 2024. Several other global gateway cities were in Hickory's top 10, including Paris, Zurich, Milan, Geneva, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Edinburgh, Scotland, ranked fourth on Hickory's list, and the city is attracting business in part from its "high-quality conference venues for large events," according to Hickory. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ranked ninth as it is "broadening its horizons into the U.S. and welcoming both tourism and business ventures."