Trip Planning

How Much Does a China Trip Cost?

Drag the sliders to match your trip. The breakdown updates live — no sign-up, no email gate. As a local, these are the real numbers I'd give a friend, not the inflated “from $3,999 per person” agency quotes.

Your Trip

3-star hotels, sit-down restaurants, taxis + metro. The sweet spot for most visitors.

Estimated total for 2 travellers, 10 days
$5,220
≈ ¥37,584 CNY
That's roughly $261 per person per day, including flights and one-off costs.

Where Your Money Goes

Daily costs (10 days × 2 people)

Accommodation$1,30025%
Food & drink$70013%
Local transport$2004%
Sightseeing & activities$3607%
Misc (SIM, water, etc.)$2405%

One-off costs

Visa (if required)$2805%

Skip entirely if you qualify for visa-free entry — check the Visa Checker.

International flights (return)$1,80034%

Europe/US → China return, varies wildly by season.

eSIM data$301%
Travel insurance$1202%

~$45-55/month for emergency medical cover.

High-speed rail (long route, e.g. Beijing ↔ Shanghai)$1904%

Optional. Backpackers often take slower/cheaper trains.

Total$5,220

Estimates use 2025-2026 average Tier-1/Tier-2 city pricing at ~¥7.2/USD. Actual costs vary by city (Shanghai and Beijing run higher than Chengdu or Xi'an) and season. China is cashless — set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before you arrive.

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Richard Du
Chinese native, based in the UK. 50+ trips back to China. I build tools to make sure your first 48 hours are magical, not a logistical nightmare.