Introduction
Whether you are on a tight budget or just money conscious, it is always a good idea to know what expenses you can expect on your travels. Obviously every trip includes the cost of getting to your destination. This is usually by international airfare - unfortunately majority of places you cannot get to overland and even if you could, currently it would be very likely more expensive.
So in case of budget destinations, the factor that we need to focus on is where can we stretch our money furthest - and it that sense China can be considered a budget travel destination. Once you have your international flight costs and visa sorted, your daily budget can be quite reasonable.
In this post I will break down for you the trip to China cost on a budget.
TL;DR
You can organise a 3 week trip to China for as little as 1350$ (730$/pp for the to spend in the country, plus a plane ticket) assuming you are staying in the mid-range hotels and sticking to simple way of traveling, avoiding tourist traps and services in products targeting Westerners and affluent Chinese.
You can have a 3 week holiday as a family of 4 for 3400$.
Continue to read the article to find a detailed cost break down and tips on how to enjoy a comfortable holiday why being mindful of the budget.
What can you expect to be your daily expenditure when travelling on a budget?
Your daily budget on a non-travel day during your China trip can easily be around 15-20$ (per adult). Children under 1.2m can enjoy riding on trains for free (assuming they don’t have their own seat) and can stay in hotels for free.
A family with children who still fall into the “stay and ride for free” can manage a budget of 50$ a day when your intention is just to explore the city and eat delicious food. Naturally all additional attractions have to be added separately.
Here is a breakdown of the costs you can expect on your holiday.
Hotels
The quality and prices of the hotels vary, but looking at Trip.com (which should be your default app for booking hotels in China), even in capital city of Beijing there are hundreds of options under 20$/room for 2 people. If you are able to spend a bit more, around 50$ you can already get a nice room.
Public transport
Travelling around Chinese cities is cheap - really cheap! You can expect to pay few cents for a single metro ride - 2-10RMB.
Train
Train travel is cheap compared to Europe, but because China is a big country, it all depends how far you want to go and how much time you want to spend travelling - the fastest high-speed train are naturally more expensive.
Just to give you an idea of the prices, here are some examples:
Chengdu -> Chongqing (300km)
- 20$ 2nd class on a fast train
- 6$ 2nd class on a slow train
Beijing -> Shanghai (~1300km)
- 80$ 2nd class on a fast train
- 20$ hard seat on a night train
- 40$ hard sleeper on a night train
Beijing -> Kunming (~2100km)
- 150$ 2nd class on a fast train
- 70$ hard sleeper on a slow train
- 40$ hard seet on a slow train
Xi’an -> Urumqi (~2500km)
- 60$ hard sleeper on a night train
Beijing -> Lhasa (~3700km)
- 95$ hard sleeper
- 45$ hard seat
Looking at these prices, when you think about train travel prices in Europe it is just incomparable - in Switzerland going from Zurich to Geneva (250km) on a full price ticket would cost you 90$ - same amount of money that can get you from Beijing to Lhasa on a sleeper train!
Street Food
Food costs are cheap. Really cheap. Unless you go to a fancy restaurant - where you still probably will end up paying not more than 80$ - your daily budget should not exceed 10$. You can easily buy a hearty bowl of noodles or dumplings for 20RMB, which is a little over 2$. 8$ per day is more than enough!
Souvenirs and everyday items
Since everything is made in China anyway, it is not surprising that every no name item is cheap. To give you an example - in Chongqing we bought a “bian lian” toy figure that cost 10RMB (1.3$). In an Asian supermarket in Zurich I have seen almost the same toy for 13CHF -10 times the price!
You can buy an umbrella for 10RMB (1.3$) - and be sure that if it is raining there will be someone selling them 😄
Naturally, buying artisan and branded goods is a different story - a bespoke designer shop will definitely have pricey items on the shelves - although still cheaper than in the West.
When planning your China tour, consider budgeting for souvenirs and everyday items, as they are often much cheaper than in other countries.
Entrance to tourist attractions
Entrance tickets to the tourist attractions are also reasonably priced. Here are some examples:
Great Wall of China (Badaling) - 40RMB/5$
Terracotta Army Xi'an - 120RMB/15$
Chengdu Panda Research Center - 55RMB/65$
Additional costs
Additionally to the costs of traveling around China, you need to add a cost of a plane ticket and a visa. Make sure you book in advance, and you can get a plane ticket for around 600$.
The cost of visa is around 150$, which is a lot compared to the rest of your costs
A HACK for budget-minded travellers - travel visa-free!
Since the end of 2023 China has been introducing a trial visa-free travel for up to 15 days for multiple countries.
And the list is growing. There is no limit of how many total days you can stay in China as long as each stay is up to 15 day each. There is also no limitation on how you enter the country. This visa scheme is currently time limited, but it is a great way to travel visa-free for many (not only) European countries.
This means you can lower the costs of your trip significantly by sticking to those 15 days, but also by including Hong Kong or Macau in the journey, as those count as exits from "Mainland China".
How much does a trip to China cost?
Assuming you want to stay on a low budget, here is an estimated minimum cost of your trip to China:
Flight - 600$/pp
Visa - 150$/pp
Hotels (21 days) - 420$
Transportation - 200$/pp
Food - 210$/pp
Additional cost (attractions, souvenirs etc.) - 100$
Total cost for 1 person: 1480$ (1350$ visa-free, 730$ cost of 3 week stay in China)
For a couple without kids: 2640$ (2340$ visa-free, 1240$ cost of the stay in China)
For a family of 4 like us, with 2 small children, that qualify for being “free”, that would mean a cost of roughly 4000$ for the whole trip - or 3400$ visa-free.
It is not exactly free, but given that to fly to other East-Asian countries that are considered a cheap travel destination, you still have to pay for a plane ticket, so you still end up paying at least 1200$/pp for the trip.
However, in China the value of money is much higher - superior transportation system makes travelling both easy and enjoyable.
What to watch for when trying to stay on a budget?
Avoid all things that are targeted at expats - restaurants, cafes, bars. Shopping malls tend to have Western prices. If you want to stay on a budget avoid going for coffee and eating Western food as those are the kind of things that tend to be expensive.
Compared to western countries, the cost of living and expenses in China are relatively lower, especially due to the lower cost of labor and lower unemployment rates. This means that sticking to "living like a local" allows you to travel at very low cost.
A great way to have a cheaper holiday is to include some 2nd or 3rd tier cities in your itinerary - you can be sure they will be fascinating places with plenty to offer, at the same time allowing you for cheaper accomodation, transportation and food costs.
Conclusion
I hope I made my case trying to show you that China is not at all an expensive holiday destination - or at least it doesn’t have to be. When you visit China, you will find that it offers a range of options for budget travelers, as well as high-end tourism and luxury resorts.What can you expect to be your daily expenditure when travelling on a budget?
Your daily budget on a non-travel day during your China trip can easily be around 15-20$ (per adult). Children under 1.2m can enjoy riding on trains for free (assuming they don’t have their own seat) and can stay in hotels for free.
A family with children who still fall into the “stay and ride for free” can manage a budget of 50$ a day when your intention is just to explore the city and eat delicious food. Naturally all additional attractions have to be added separately.
Here is a breakdown of the costs you can expect on your holiday.
Hotels
The quality and prices of a hotel room vary, but looking at Trip.com (which should be your default app for booking hotels in China), even in capital city of Beijing there are hundreds of options of mid range hotels under 20$/room for 2 people. If you are able to spend a bit more, around 50$ you can already get a nice room.
Public transport
Travelling around Chinese cities is cheap - really cheap! You can expect to pay few cents for a single metro ride - 2-10RMB.
Train tickets
Train travel is cheap compared to Europe, but because China is a big country, it all depends how far you want to go and how much time you want to spend travelling - the fastest high-speed train are naturally more expensive.
Just to give you an idea of the prices, here are some examples:
Chengdu -> Chongqing (300km)
- 20$ 2nd class on a fast train
- 6$ 2nd class on a slow train
Beijing -> Shanghai (~1300km)
- 80$ 2nd class on a fast train
- 20$ hard seat on a night train
- 40$ hard sleeper on a night train
Beijing -> Kunming (~2100km)
- 150$ 2nd class on a fast train
- 70$ hard sleeper on a slow train
- 40$ hard seet on a slow train
Xi’an -> Urumqi (~2500km)
- 60$ hard sleeper on a night train
Beijing -> Lhasa (~3700km)
- 95$ hard sleeper
- 45$ hard seat
Looking at these prices, when you think about train travel prices in Europe it is just uncomparable - in Switzerland going from Zurich to Geneva (250km) on a full price ticket would cost you 90$ - same amount of money that can get you from Beijing to Lhasa on a sleeper train!
Street Food
Food costs are cheap. Really cheap. Unless you go to a fancy restaurant - where you still probably will end up paying not more than 80$ - your daily budget should not exceed 10$. An average price of a hearty bowl of noodles or plate of dumplings for 20RMB, which is a little over 2$. 8$ per day is more than enough!
Souvenirs and everyday items
Since everything is made in China anyway, it is not surprising that every no name item is cheap. To give you an example - in Chongqing we bought a “bian lian” toy figure that cost 10RMB (1.3$). In an Asian supermarket in Zurich I have seen almost the same toy for 13CHF -10 times the price!
You can buy an umbrella for 10RMB (1.3$) - and be sure that if it is raining there will be someone selling them 😄
Naturally, buying artisan and branded goods is a different story - a bespoke designer shop will definitely have pricey items on the shelves - although still cheaper than in the West.
When planning your China tour, consider budgeting for souvenirs and everyday items, as they are often much cheaper than in other countries.
Attraction costs
Entrance tickets to the tourist attractions are also reasonably priced. The Forbidden City in Beijing is a must-see, and it's recommended to visit early in the morning to avoid crowds. Here are some examples:
Great Wall of China (Badaling) - 40RMB/5$
Terracotta Army Xi’an - 120RMB/15$
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Center - 55RMB/65$
National parks e.g. Jiuzhaigou National Park - 220RMB/25$
How much does a trip to China cost?
Assuming you want to stay on a low budget, here is an estimated minimum cost of your trip to China:
International flights - 700$/pp
Visa - 150$/pp
Hotels (21 days) - 420$
Transportation - 200$/pp
Food - 210$/pp
Additional cost (attractions, souvenirs etc.) - 100$
Overall cost for 1 person: 1780$ (930$ cost of 3 week stay in China)
For a couple without kids: 3140$ (1440$ cost of the stay in China)
For a family of 4 like us, with 2 small children (one child 2+, one infant), that would mean a cost of roughly 4300-4500$ for the whole trip (1700$ excluding flight and visa) - not too bad at all.
It is not exactly free, but given that to fly to other East-Asian countries that are considered a cheap travel destination, you still have to pay for a plane ticket, so you still end up paying at least 1200$/pp for the trip.
However, in China the value of money is much higher - superior transportation system makes travelling both easy and enjoyable.
What to watch for when trying to stay on a budget? Transportation costs
Watch your spending habits: avoid all the crazy stuff that is targeted at expats - restaurants, cafes, bars. Shopping malls tend to have Western prices. If you want to stay on a budget avoid going for coffee and eating Western food as those are the kind of things that tend to be expensive.
Compared to western countries, the cost of living and expenses in China are relatively lower, especially due to the lower cost of labor and lower unemployment rates.
Tips for minimising your travel costs
- Favour bullet train over domestic flights - they are more comfortable and less of a hassle, plus the second class seat will cost you fraction of what you will have to pay for plane tickets
- Taxi drivers tend to be honest and prices reasonable, however stick to public transportation whenever possible to keep the cost down. Local transportation is a great way to save money!
- How about swapping some major cities for other third tier cities? Costs of cities in China vary significantly. Beijing and Shanghai can be as expensive as any Western city, but if you venture a bit off-the-beaten path to Xining, Lanzhou or any other third tier city you will get to know another face of China, and get the best value for money
- Stay clear of rental cars and private tour
- Stick to eating Chinese food and compare prices. Prefer a meal in a local restaurant over places targeted at foreign tourists. Food will usually be better and more authentic.
- Try to visit China off season - accommodation costs are usually lower
Conclusion
Generally speaking China does not have to be at all an expensive holiday destination - or at least it doesn’t have to be. When you visit China, you will find that it offers a range of options for budget travellers, as well as high-end tourism and luxury resorts - it is easy to make your trip to China expensive too.
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