Quick answer: A trip to China typically costs US$30-55/day backpacker, US$80-150/day mid-range, US$250+/day luxury. Currency: Chinese Yuan/RMB — roughly ¥7.2 = US$1.
China is dramatically cheap by Western standards — outside Beijing, Shanghai, and tourist-trap heritage sites, you can travel comfortably on under US$50/day. The cost variance is enormous, from US$30/day in Yunnan rural towns to US$200/day in central Shanghai. Here is the real picture.
China trip cost: daily budget at a glance
Short answer: budget on roughly $110–220 per person per day mid-range (excluding international flights).
| Travel style | Per day (per person) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $50–85 | Hostels/guesthouses, street food, public transport |
| Mid-range | $110–220 | 3-star hotels, restaurants, the odd tour or taxi |
| Luxury | $400+ | 4–5★ hotels, fine dining, private guides & transfers |
Cost tiers — budget / mid / luxury
Cost breakdown by category
- Accommodation: US$15 hostel → US$60 mid-hotel → US$200+ luxury
- Meals: US$3 street food, US$8-15 mid restaurant, US$50+ fine dining
- High-speed rail: US$20-50 between major cities (Beijing-Shanghai US$80)
- Public transit: US$0.50-1.50/ride in cities (subways excellent)
- Tourist sites: Forbidden City US$10, Great Wall Mutianyu US$15, Yellow Mountain US$30
Sample 7-day budgets
- Backpacker 7 days: ~US$400-500 (hostels + street food + 2nd class rail)
- Mid-range 7 days: ~US$1200 (3-star hotels + casual restaurants + 1st class rail)
- Luxury 7 days: ~US$3500+ (5-star international + fine dining + private tours)
How to save money in China
- Travel during shoulder seasons (April, May, September-November)
- Use China high-speed rail vs flights — often cheaper AND faster city-to-city
- Eat where locals eat — street food is safe in big cities and 80% cheaper
- Skip Western breakfast at hotels (US$20+) — local breakfast US$2
- Book domestic flights via Trip.com (China-friendly platform)
A local insider tip
If you want China at honestly cheapest, take the high-speed rail from Beijing to Xi’an (overnight) for US$50 in soft sleeper, then continue to Chengdu for US$40 day-train. This gives you Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, and pandas in one Yangtze valley arc for about US$140 in transport. Avoid the first week of October (Golden Week) when fares double.
The two-tier daily budget and the costs travelers forget
Strip the trip down to two honest tiers. A shoestring traveler sharing dorms, eating street food and riding the subway lands at around USD 40-60 per day all-in. A comfortable traveler in a 3-star room, eating at proper restaurants, taking taxis and paying full attraction prices sits closer to around USD 120-180 per day. Over a typical 10-day visit that puts the shoestring tier near USD 400-600 and the comfortable tier near USD 1,200-1,800 before flights.
The figures that quietly inflate that total sit outside the daily spend. US citizens pay around USD 140 for the tourist L visa at a consulate, and roughly USD 252 if they route it through the China Visa Application Service Center. The catch most people miss: arrive on an onward ticket to a third country and the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit costs nothing. Payment is the other leak. Linking a foreign Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay works almost everywhere now, but transactions over RMB 200 carry about a 3 percent service fee, and ATM withdrawals are capped near RMB 3,000 (about USD 415) per pull on top of your home bank’s FX markup. Tipping is not customary, so that line stays at zero.
- Skip the agency: apply for the visa direct and keep around USD 110 versus the CVASC route.
- Pay under RMB 200 per Alipay transaction to dodge the roughly 3 percent foreign-card fee, saving a few dollars on every larger bill.
- Travel on an onward ticket and use the 10-day transit exemption to drop the USD 140 visa cost to nothing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 2-week China trip cost?
Backpacker: US$700-1000. Mid-range: US$2500-3500. Luxury: US$8000+. Beijing + Xi’an + Shanghai standard route.
Is street food safe to eat in China?
Yes in big cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu) where turnover is fast. Skip street meat in tier-3 cities or after rain.
How much is the Great Wall?
Mutianyu section: ¥45 (US$6) + ¥120 (US$17) for cable car. Badaling: ¥40. Self-drive Jinshanling US$45-60 with transfer.
Are taxis cheap in Chinese cities?
Yes — starting fare ¥13-15 (US$2). 20-minute crosstown ride usually US$8-12. Use Didi (Chinese Uber) for cashless rides.
Do I need cash in China?
Almost no — WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate. Get a China Mobile SIM, link a bank card, and you can pay everywhere including street food.
Plan your China trip
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.