China Travel Budget: How Much Money Do You Need?
I tracked every yuan we spent across 14 days in China. Hotels, food, trains, attractions, taxis, snacks—everything.
Here's the real cost of traveling in China in 2026.
Quick Answer
For a 14-day trip:
| Style | Daily Average | 14-Day Total | |-------|---------------|--------------| | Budget | ¥400-600 ($55-85) | ¥5,600-8,400 ($780-1,170) | | Mid-Range | ¥800-1,200 ($110-165) | ¥11,200-16,800 ($1,560-2,340) | | Comfort | ¥1,500-2,500 ($210-350) | ¥21,000-35,000 ($2,940-4,900) |
These are per-person costs, excluding international flights.
Our Actual Expenses (14 Days, Mid-Range)
We tracked everything on our September 2025 trip across Beijing, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, and Shanghai.
Accommodation: ¥4,480 (¥320/night)
We stayed at mid-range hotels booked through Trip.com:
- Beijing: ¥380/night
- Xi'an: ¥220/night
- Zhangjiajie: ¥280/night
- Shanghai: ¥420/night
Per person (sharing room): ¥2,240 total
Food: ¥2,660 (¥190/day)
| Meal Type | Cost Range | Our Average | |-----------|------------|-------------| | Street food/snacks | ¥10-30 | ¥25 | | Local restaurant | ¥30-60 | ¥45 | | Nice restaurant | ¥80-150 | ¥100 | | Coffee/drinks | ¥20-40 | ¥25 |
We ate mostly local food with occasional nicer dinners. Peking duck in Beijing, xiaolongbao in Shanghai, biangbiang noodles in Xi'an.
Transport: ¥2,100
| Transport | Cost | |-----------|------| | High-speed trains (2 trips) | ¥950 | | Metro (all cities) | ¥180 | | DiDi rides | ¥620 | | Airport transfers | ¥350 |
Trains are the best value. Metro is dirt cheap. DiDi adds up but saves time and energy.
Attractions: ¥1,050
| Attraction | Cost | |------------|------| | Forbidden City | ¥60 | | Temple of Heaven | ¥35 | | Great Wall (Mutianyu) | ¥40 + ¥120 cable car | | Terracotta Army | ¥120 | | Zhangjiajie National Park | ¥225 (4-day pass) | | Shanghai Tower | ¥180 | | Smaller sites | ¥270 combined |
Major attractions are reasonably priced. National parks can be expensive due to multi-day passes.
Miscellaneous: ¥480
SIM card, snacks, water bottles, souvenirs, random purchases.
Total: ¥10,770 (~$1,500)
That's ¥769/day or $107/day per person for a comfortable mid-range trip.
Cost Breakdown by Category
Accommodation
| Type | Cost/Night (Double Room) | |------|-------------------------| | Hostel dorm | ¥50-100 per bed | | Budget hotel (Home Inn, etc.) | ¥150-250 | | Mid-range hotel | ¥300-500 | | Business hotel | ¥500-800 | | 4-5 star international | ¥800-2000+ |
Tip: Chinese chains like Home Inn, Hanting, and JI Hotel offer excellent value at ¥150-250/night.
Food
| Type | Cost Per Person | |------|-----------------| | Street food snack | ¥5-20 | | Street food meal | ¥15-35 | | Local restaurant | ¥30-60 | | Nice restaurant | ¥80-150 | | High-end restaurant | ¥200-500+ | | Delivery (Meituan) | ¥25-50 | | Coffee (chain) | ¥25-40 | | Coffee (specialty) | ¥35-60 | | Bottled water | ¥2-5 | | Beer (convenience store) | ¥5-15 | | Beer (bar) | ¥30-80 |
Transportation
High-Speed Rail (Second Class): | Route | Price | |-------|-------| | Beijing → Xi'an | ¥515 | | Xi'an → Chengdu | ¥260 | | Shanghai → Hangzhou | ¥75 | | Beijing → Shanghai | ¥630 |
Metro:
- Most rides: ¥2-8
- Day of riding: ¥15-30
DiDi:
- Short city ride: ¥15-30
- Longer ride: ¥40-80
- Airport transfer: ¥80-200
Attractions
| Attraction | Price | |------------|-------| | Forbidden City | ¥60 | | Great Wall (Badaling) | ¥40 | | Great Wall (Mutianyu) | ¥40 + cable car | | Temple of Heaven | ¥35 | | Terracotta Army | ¥120 | | Shanghai Tower | ¥180 | | Zhangjiajie Park | ¥225 (4-day) | | West Lake | Free | | The Bund | Free | | Most museums | Free |
Many museums are free but require online reservation.
Three Budget Scenarios
Budget Traveler (¥400-600/day)
Who this is for: Backpackers, students, those who prioritize experience over comfort.
Accommodation: Hostels (¥50-100/night per bed) or budget hotels (¥150-200 shared)
Food: Street food for most meals, occasional local restaurant. ¥80-120/day.
Transport: Slow trains when possible, bus, metro. Minimal DiDi.
Activities: Free attractions, museums, walking tours. Skip expensive observation decks.
Sample day:
- Breakfast: Jianbing from street vendor ¥8
- Lunch: Local noodle shop ¥25
- Dinner: Street food variety ¥40
- Metro rides ¥12
- One paid attraction ¥50
- Total: ~¥285 (+ accommodation)
Mid-Range Traveler (¥800-1,200/day)
Who this is for: Most travelers who want comfort without splurging.
Accommodation: 3-4 star hotels, Chinese chains. ¥300-500/night.
Food: Mix of local spots and nice restaurants. ¥150-200/day.
Transport: High-speed rail, metro, DiDi when convenient.
Activities: All major attractions, some special experiences.
Sample day:
- Breakfast: Hotel or local café ¥30
- Lunch: Good local restaurant ¥50
- Dinner: Nice restaurant ¥100
- Coffee ¥30
- Metro + DiDi ¥50
- Attractions ¥80
- Total: ~¥540 (+ accommodation)
Comfort Traveler (¥1,500-2,500/day)
Who this is for: Those who value convenience and don't want to think about costs.
Accommodation: 4-5 star hotels, international chains. ¥800-1500/night.
Food: Mix of nice restaurants and fine dining. ¥300-500/day.
Transport: High-speed rail first class, DiDi Premier, private tours.
Activities: Everything, plus private guides and special experiences.
Money-Saving Tips
Accommodation
- Book through Trip.com (often cheaper than booking directly)
- Stay at Chinese chains (Home Inn, Hanting) for great value
- Location matters—near metro saves on taxi costs
- Consider apartments for longer stays
Food
- Eat where locals eat (crowded = fresh and cheap)
- Street food is often better than restaurants
- Lunch specials at nice restaurants
- Download Meituan for cheap delivery
- Buy water at convenience stores, not tourist sites
Transport
- Book trains in advance for peak times
- Second Class is perfectly comfortable
- Metro beats DiDi for most city trips
- Walk when you can—Chinese cities are interesting on foot
Attractions
- Book tickets online (often cheaper + skip lines)
- Many museums are free with online reservation
- Skip cable cars unless you need them
- Consider multi-day passes for areas like Zhangjiajie
Hidden Costs to Budget For
Connectivity
| Item | Cost | |------|------| | eSIM (14 days) | $25-50 | | VPN subscription | $10-15/month | | Local SIM | ¥100-200 |
Transaction Fees
- Alipay fee on transactions over ¥200: ~3%
- Credit card foreign transaction fee: 0-3%
- ATM withdrawal fee: ¥15-30 per transaction
Tips (Actually, No Tips)
China doesn't have tipping culture. The price you see is the price you pay.
Emergencies
Budget ¥500-1000 for unexpected costs (pharmacy, lost items, plan changes).
Payment Strategy
What we used:
- Alipay — 90% of payments
- WeChat Pay — backup when Alipay failed
- Cash — ~¥500 for emergencies and small vendors
Recommended cards:
- Wise, Revolut, or N26 (no FX fees)
- Visa or Mastercard (AmEx not supported)
Sample Budgets by Trip Length
7-Day Trip
| Style | Accommodation | Daily Costs | Total | |-------|---------------|-------------|-------| | Budget | ¥700 | ¥2,800 | ¥3,500 ($490) | | Mid-Range | ¥2,100 | ¥4,200 | ¥6,300 ($880) | | Comfort | ¥5,600 | ¥7,000 | ¥12,600 ($1,760) |
14-Day Trip
| Style | Accommodation | Daily Costs | Total | |-------|---------------|-------------|-------| | Budget | ¥1,400 | ¥5,600 | ¥7,000 ($980) | | Mid-Range | ¥4,200 | ¥8,400 | ¥12,600 ($1,760) | | Comfort | ¥11,200 | ¥14,000 | ¥25,200 ($3,530) |
21-Day Trip
| Style | Accommodation | Daily Costs | Total | |-------|---------------|-------------|-------| | Budget | ¥2,100 | ¥8,400 | ¥10,500 ($1,470) | | Mid-Range | ¥6,300 | ¥12,600 | ¥18,900 ($2,650) | | Comfort | ¥16,800 | ¥21,000 | ¥37,800 ($5,290) |
The Bottom Line
China is surprisingly affordable for what you get. World-class trains, incredible food, ancient wonders—all at reasonable prices.
A comfortable 14-day trip costs about $1,500-2,000 per person (excluding international flights). You can do it for less if you're flexible, or spend more for luxury.
The biggest variable is your accommodation standard. Everything else—food, transport, attractions—is remarkably reasonable.
Need Help Planning Your Budget?
If you'd rather have someone review your itinerary and budget, our Guardian package includes trip planning assistance for $19.
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