Money & Payments
How much does a trip to China cost? A daily budget for 2026
Typical daily costs in China for budget, mid-range, and comfortable travel: hotels, food, trains, sights, and the costs people forget.
China is better value than most visitors expect. Food and public transport are cheap, high-speed trains cost less than flights, and sights are reasonably priced. Hotels are where your budget really varies.
Daily budget per person
| Travel style | Per day | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ¥300–450 (about US$40–65) | Hostel bed or simple hotel, local restaurants and street food, metro |
| Mid-range | ¥600–1,000 (about US$85–140) | Comfortable 3–4 star hotel, sit-down meals, the odd taxi |
| Comfortable | ¥1,300+ (about US$180+) | International hotels, restaurants every meal, taxis and tours |
These don’t include international flights or long-distance trains. Shanghai and Beijing are more expensive than Xi’an, Chengdu, or Guilin.
Hotels
| Shanghai / Beijing | Xi’an / Chengdu / Guilin | |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | ¥60–120 | ¥50–90 |
| Budget hotel | ¥200–350 | ¥120–250 |
| Mid-range hotel | ¥400–800 | ¥250–500 |
| International 4–5 star | ¥900+ | ¥600+ |
Prices rise sharply during Chinese holidays: Chinese New Year, May Day (early May), and National Day (the first week of October). Book early for those dates. Compare prices on Trip.com, Agoda, and Booking.com.
Food
- Street food and noodle shops: ¥10–30 a meal.
- Casual restaurant: ¥40–80 per person.
- A good restaurant or Peking duck dinner: ¥120–250 per person.
- Tipping isn’t expected anywhere in China.
Getting around
- Metro: ¥2–10 a ride.
- DiDi or taxi: about ¥15–40 across town; ¥100+ to a major airport. See how to use DiDi.
- High-speed trains (second class, one way): Beijing to Shanghai about ¥550–700; Beijing to Xi’an about ¥500; Shanghai to Hangzhou about ¥75. See how to book trains.
Sights
Most major sights cost ¥40–120: for example, the Terracotta Warriors ¥120, the Chengdu Panda Base about ¥55, and Mutianyu Great Wall about ¥40 plus cable car. Many parks and temples are free or cost a few yuan. Book popular ones ahead with your passport, directly or on Klook.
Costs people forget
- Payment fees: Alipay and WeChat Pay charge 3% on each payment over ¥200 made with a foreign card. See our payments guide.
- Your bank’s foreign transaction fee, on top of that.
- Mobile data: a travel eSIM costs roughly US$5–30 depending on how much data you need.
- Visa, if your passport isn’t eligible for visa-free entry.
- Travel insurance.
A sample two-week trip (mid-range)
Beijing (4 days), Xi’an (2), Chengdu (2), Guilin and Yangshuo (3), Shanghai (3):
| Approximate total | |
|---|---|
| Hotels, 13 nights | ¥5,500–8,000 |
| Food | ¥2,500–3,500 |
| Trains and one domestic flight | ¥3,000–4,500 |
| Sights and tours | ¥1,500–2,500 |
| Local transport | ¥600–1,000 |
| Total per person (sharing a room) | about ¥13,000–19,500 (US$1,800–2,700) |
Prices are rough guides from recent travellers’ reports and booking sites, checked on the date above. Treat them as a starting point.
