Content
Chinese Currency
Money Exchanging
Bank Account
Credit Card & ATM
Traveler's Cheque/Check
Cost of Traveling in China
Cost of Traveling in China
Is traveling in China very expensive?
Answer: No, Travel in China is affordable compared with other places in the world. Prices are much cheaper than in most western countries, for everything from meals to train or plane tickets.
Can you give an average cost of traveling China?
Answer: Sorry, every trip will be different in what it costs. It depends on where you go and the level of comfort you require. Besides, travel in the big cities is usually more expensive than the smaller ones and travel during holiday times is more expensive. Admission fees to some tourist attractions are often a great part of your expenditure.
What may be the biggest expense for traveling to China?
Answer: The round-trip plane tickets may be the biggest expense.
What about the standard cost for food and accommodation?
Answer: Delicious food in China is much cheaper, even in superior restaurants, and a budget or luxurious hotel with very clean and well-appointed rooms are also inexpensive. Don't worry about this!
What is the transportation cost in China?
Answer: Public transportation costs are reasonable in China and easily affordable. No doubt buses are the most economical public vehicle. However, traveling by metro, taxi or hiring a private driver can make your tour more comfortable and more efficient.
What about the souvenirs in China, are they expensive?
Answer: No, the souvenirs are cheap in China, but it requires you to be skillful in haggling.
Do taxis in China cost a lot?
Answer: Trains and buses are more reasonable while taxis are relatively high. Taxi fares in different cities are quite different.
The table below is a taxi fare list of 32 major cites in China (in 2008):
| City | Flag-Down Rate (CNY) | Price per km (CNY) | City | Flag-Down Rate (CNY) | Price per km (CNY) |
| Beijing | 10 | 2.0 | Lhasa | 10 | - |
| Chongqing | 5 | 1.2 | Macau | MOP 10 | MOP 1.0 (per 200 m) |
| Shanghai | 12 | 2.4 | Nanchang | 7 | 1.9 |
| Tianjin | 8 | 2.0 | Nanjing | 8 | 2.4 |
| Changchun | 5 | 1.3 | Nanning | 7 | 1.6 |
| Changsha | 3 | 1.6 | Shenyang | 8 | 1.8 |
| Fuzhou | 8 | 1.8 | Shenzhen | 12.5 | 2.4 |
| Guangzhou | 7 | 2.6 | Shijiazhuang | 5 | 1.6 |
| Guilin | 7 | 1.6 | Taibei | TWD 80 | TWD 5 (per 350 m) |
| Guiyang | 10 | 3.0 | Taiyuan | 8 | 1.0 |
| Harbin | 8 | 1.9 | Urumqi | 6 | 1.3 |
| Hefei | 6 | 1.1 | Wuhan | 3 | 1.2 |
| Hong Kong | HKD 15 | HKD 1.4 (per 200 m) | Xian | 6 | 1.5 |
| Jinan | 7 | 1.5 | Xining | 6 | 1.3 |
| Kunming | 8 | 1.6 | Yinchuan | 5 | 1.0 |
| Lanzhou | 7 | 1.3 | Zhengzhou | 6 | 1.5 |
Note: TravelChinaGuide suggests you bring 150% or 200% of your budget, especially if you to shop – and China is the place where your money goes far – or require a higher standard of travel arrangements. Of course it will still be an enjoyable trip, even if you travel under a limited budget, keeping your average down as much as possible.
Copyright© 1998-2009 TravelChinaGuide.com, All rights reserved.
Travelers' Voices on Cost of Traveling in China
1.
Nov. 3,2009 01:05 Reply
Mr.EZEKIEL(Philippines) said:
hello,
im from the philippines and i i've heard that in PEK airport they have a exchnge counter for CNY, can they change my Philippine peso to chinese RNB?
Nov. 3,2009 21:13
Mr.cindy(cn) replied:
Of coures it can, but i think that you can exchange the money in bank of china in china. The exchange rate might be more favorable than airport!
2.
Sep. 30,2009 02:59 Reply
Ms.Linda Covey(China) said:
I have lived in Dalian for five weeks now and have eaten a number of places, taken taxis many times. Taxis have ranged from the base 8.00 yuan to about 23:00 yuan for long trips. Quite inexpensive but is a hair-raiser ride, to be sure! Buses are one yuan but crowded. Food is best in out of the way places, and a great meal can be had for around 25 yuan for two people. The worst meal I've had here was in an American-Chinese restaurant and was exorbiant, about 100 yuan ($20 neighborhood). I won't eat there again,even the atmosphere and back home food was not worth it. Dalian is one of the most ultra modern cities I've ever been in on any continent, side by side with the old ways. McDonald's was okay, but why go there? Just watch the cleaniness of your street food vendors and keep to small family run restaurants for the most part. You'll be in for a treat!
3.
Sep. 8,2009 23:03 Reply
Mr.Chris(USA) said:
The "McDonald's" is a good one, so here it is... The cost of a Big Mac meal is usually between 21-24RMB, with the sandwich itself running 12-13RMB.
As for noodles, he's right it very much depends. You can get them from street vendors for anywhere from 3-7, Urumqi restaurants for 7-9, and they can range higher from there at "nicer" places. Most of the time, though, you're simply paying for the environment instead of better food.
Western food varies greatly in price, from McD's being fairly cheap (in the low-to-mid 20's for a meal), up to 150/dish or more.
4.
Aug. 2,2009 16:44 Reply
Ms.cooke(usa) said:
Your information is too general. You could give the cost of a few things at McDonalds (unfortunately a universally known base line), the cost of a noodle lunch, the cost of an inexpensive and expensive dinner. This would be much more helpful.
Aug. 2,2009 20:40
Mr.bob(usa) replied:
You know that China is so big, and the food price for each city varies. For example, A noodle in Xian is just cost 5 yuan while it is about 20 yuan in Shenzhen. so, how can they give you a general cost for the whole coutry!
5.
Jul. 23,2009 04:34 Reply
Mr.Thomas Vigliaturo(Switzerland) said:
I would like to know if Chinese people going to a foreign countries (specifically Switzerland) would have problems in withdrawing money from an ATM or transfer money from their Chinese bank account to a local (Swiss) bank account. Thanks
Jul. 23,2009 05:04
Mr.Steven(Singapore) replied:
Hi, buddy, what do you mean by saying this?