How long do you plan on being there? Where are you coming from?

I came across for a month with only 500 pounds (about 1000 CDN $) and stayed in hostels. I mostly looked for work, though.

What sorts of things interest you? If you want to do discount tours and the like (I recommend Mac Backpackers), you see a lot for little $$.

To really enjoy it… I’d say 1 to 2K US $. But you can go cheap as Anna has explained.

It all depends on your plans and interests. All national museums are free, but food and drinks are quite expensive for American standards.