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Posh Hair Studio

The best cheap haircuts in NYC

Cheap haircuts in the city aren’t always easy to find, but they do exist at these budget-friendly gems

Written by
Christina Izzo
&
Jennifer Picht
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Cheap is relative and what was considered realistically inexpensive for a simple snip even five years ago now feels like pure fantasy. But if you’re ready to chop your mop without breaking the bank, there are still plenty of top-notch barbershops and hair salons in NYC where you can score a great under-$100 haircut. Yes, it’s even possible to upgrade your mane—including a thorough scrub at the washing station and a luxurious blow dry that will showcase your newly snipped style perfectly—for less than fifty bucks. To help, we’ve mapped out the best hair salons for cheap haircuts from Manhattan to Brooklyn and Queens where you can get a cut or color without blowing your whole beauty budget. Now, go get fabulous, Gothamites!

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best hair salons in NYC

Cheap haircuts in NYC

  • Health and beauty
  • Spas
  • West Village
  • price 1 of 4

If you want to save a pretty penny at some of the city’s finest salons, you can opt to sit for an assistant hairdresser, who is just as capable of chopping your locks as a senior stylist. The hair experts from Aveda offer a similar promotion: Call ahead to schedule an appointment with an assistant for a cut ($30), a styling session like texture sets and braiding ($35) or a color retouch ($50) in order for the seniors-in-training to fully master their craft. You won’t regret it.

  • Health and beauty
  • Hair salons
  • Union Square

Going in for a chop at this theater-themed salon (there are five locations!) does not require an appointment. In fact, don’t even bother booking ahead because the NYC chainlet reserves a special flat rate for walk-ins ($38 for a wash and cut; appointments include a shampoo, cut and style for $60–$80). Blowouts are an additional $40 to $60, but a custom braid or bun is on the house. And if you rebook early at checkout, you’re automatically entered into the salon’s free haircut lottery, with a lucky winner chosen every six weeks.

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Laura Braunstein Hair Studio
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Laura Braunstein Hair Studio

Upper West Side resident and stylist-colorist Laura Braunstein—known for her industry expertise in blonde hair—is behind this uptown salon, where a team of Vidal Sassoon-trained precision cutters and pro colorists will help you come up with your new ‘do. A haircut with one of the salon’s “emerging artists” start at $65 (including consultation, a shampoo and a full styling); a session with a “seasoned diva” costs $85 or you can sit for Braunstein herself for $100. 

Maria's Hair Salon
  • Health and beauty
  • Hair salons

From the unassuming storefront to the Saved by the Bell–style paint job inside, it would be easy to overlook Maria Papadelis’s pared-down Greenpoint salon after a cursory glance. But you’d be remiss to disregard it, since you can snag a high-grade haircut for as little as $20 (with wash $25, with blow-dry $33, long hair with blow-dry $40). The environment may be modest, but rest assured you’re in good hands: Papadelis studied hairdressing for three years in her native Poland, and has been manning the scissors for more than two decades.

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Pell 22 Hair Salon
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Pell 22 Hair Salon

The TikTok girlies have officially discovered this full-service Chinatown favorite, offering haircuts, colors, perms, keratin treatments and more. Founded in 1998 by stylist Tony Toe, the salon is sought out for its quality but economical cuts: sit for a junior stylist for $22 to $30, or opt for a more senior staffer for $28 to $40. 

Posh Hair Studio
  • Health and beauty
  • Hair salons
  • Queens

The stylists at this galactic-inspired space receive high praise for their attention to a customer’s needs. Just to up the ante, the Queens spot also provides iPads and bubbly, plus owner Irina Patrascu’s senior stylists deliver the type of cut ($50, without a blow dry; start at $75 with blowdry) that keeps you coming back for more—no champagne necessary.

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Sei-Tomoko
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Sei-Tomoko

Owner Tomoko Kawamoto and husband Sei first launched this New York mini-chain with its East Village location back in 1995, and now Sei-Tomoko boasts three sister outposts downtown. Known for its Japanese hair-straightening services, the salon also distinguishes itself with its sleek, Asian-inspired cuts, starting at $65. And if that alone wasn’t worth a visit, each shampoo is followed by an abbreviated shiatsu massage to bring a little extra zen to your beauty routine. 

TOTO
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TOTO

This Grand Street salon offers myriad hair treatments, from amino protein boosters to a mud deep-clean, but if it’s a simple haircut refresh you’re after, you can get a solid cut and a wash for only $60. And great news if you’re a student or a teacher: you can score 20-percent off any service with one of the salon’s select master stylists.

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