How Much Does it Cost to Travel in China?

I’ll always remember China as the first cheap country that I travelled to.

The year was 2011 and I was two months into my big round-the-world adventure. After easing into the backpacker lifestyle with a jaunt around Eastern Europe, it was time to start challenging myself. It was finally time for me to head to Asia.

I distinctly remember loading up HostelWorld a week before my flight to Shanghai, sorting the accommodation options by lowest price to highest, then promptly gaping at my screen in awe.

I could stay in a dorm for just $5 a night?

And that’s exactly what I did. As I made my way around China, I couldn’t believe that I was spending as little as $10 a day; as much as $50 a day. This country was seriously inexpensive while offering so much value for money.

It’s true: China is home to diverse landscapes, food, and people, with a recorded history dating back over 3,000 years. It’s absolutely fascinating to explore, so the fact that it was relatively inexpensive was such an added bonus.

But what about China in 2025? What about China post-pandemic? What about China when you’re no longer a stingy backpacker in their twenties, prioritising budget travel above all else?

It was time for me to return and find out.

It’s no secret that the cost of travel has skyrocketed over the past few years. Many of the countries that I’ve loved visiting over the years have become increasingly unaffordable post-pandemic, with daily costs increasing to as much as $300 a day! I’m sure you’ve encountered these eye-watering prices, too.

Well, I’ve just returned from a summer adventure in China and I’m delighted to share that this is still an inexpensive country to travel across. In fact, I’d even recommend that you start planning a trip to visit in 2025; this is one of the most interesting, diverse countries you can still explore without breaking the bank.

(And yes, you can still get a dorm bed for $5 a night.)

Regardless of when you do end up visiting, however, know that travel in China takes some planning.

The good news, however, is that travel in China is also significantly easier than it used to be.

In the past, the Chinese tourist visa was the stuff of horror stories. I found it so complicated that I actually ended up paying iVisa to apply for the visa for me. Back then, you needed to provide several forms and documents, a copy of your itinerary, proof of onward travel, and even a list of every country you’d visited over the past 10 years. As a travel writer who travels full-time, that last one made me want to cry — I’d been to over 90 countries!

China is gradually loosening these strict requirements, however, and as of early-2025, is making it far easier to visit as a tourist. For starters, citizens of many countries are now able to visit the country for two weeks without needing to apply for a visa (many Western Europeans, along with Australians and Kiwis qualify for this).

For everyone else, the application process has been made much easier and the expensive visa has come down in price. If you’re British or North American, you will have to apply for a tourist visa in advance, but you need far less documentation than before. Americans are up for $140 for a tourist visa in 2025, while British people like me need to pay £64 and Canadians will need to pay C$75. (And yes, these are the discounted prices!)

One final thing to keep in mind is that China offers a free 144-hour (so, six days) transit visa for almost every nationality. If you only want to visit one city or plan on taking an extended layover, this is the easiest option! I recently tried out the 144-hour visa and it was super-easy! Show your proof of onward travel, given the immigration officer the address of where you’re staying, have your fingerprints scanned, and then you’re in!

What Do You Need to Know About Money in China?

The first thing you need to know is that China is predominantly a cashless society. Like much of the world in 2025, this is yet another country where people will be baffled if you attempt to hand them a banknote. That’s not to say that vendors won’t accept cash, but that it is a bit of a rarity and will likely result in more hassle than it’s worth.

That’s all well and good.

However, you also can’t pay with foreign debit or credit cards, and you can’t use Apple Pay/Google Pay, either.

So the question then becomes: how on earth are you meant to pay for anything?

And the answer? Alipay.

If you want to make your trip as easy and trouble-free as possible, my biggest recommendation is to download Alipay before you arrive in China and add your bank card to it while you’re still at home. It’s not difficult to do: download the app, navigate to “account”, then select “bank cards”. Tap on the + icon and add your details to the app. I had absolutely zero issues setting mine up and it worked flawlessly while I was in the country.

Paying for something is simple. Open up the app, click the “pay” icon at the top of the screen and then show the vendor the barcode it generates. They scan your phone and that’s it: you’ve successfully paid!

Using Alipay was quite a daunting process at first, but I came to love its ease of use. On my 2024 trip, I paid for absolutely everything with Alipay, didn’t use cash once, and didn’t run into any problems.

You can also use the Alipay app to order a taxi by clicking on the “DiDi Travel” icon; too easy!

Some guides online recommend that you pay for things with a similar app called WeChat, but you can’t add foreign bank cards to that one, so there’s not much point in downloading it! I did just fine with Alipay.

What About VPNs?

If you know anything about the internet in China, it’s likely that it’s heavily censored; the lack of accessible websites in this country is referred to as the Great Firewall of China. A common recommendation is to download a VPN before you arrive so that you can bypass these blocks.

Well, in 2025, it’s near-impossible to find a VPN that actually works in China. I tried ProtonVPN, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark, and none of them worked. If you see a review recommending that you download any of them before your arrival, ignore it. It’s outdated. Even if a particular VPN server does work in China, it’ll be blocked within days or weeks by the government.

China has really clamped down on VPNs in the past few years and you should assume that none of them work. Don’t waste your money.

I actually ended up in a tricky situation on this recent visit, because I’d naively assumed that my VPN would work in the country. It didn’t! And that meant I had no way of accessing the internet with my laptop. In all honesty, I was flabbergasted to see just how restricted the internet is in China.

All social media sites are blocked, Google is blocked, as is Google Maps and Gmail. I couldn’t use Skype or Zoom or Telegram or WhatsApp to contact family members. All news websites were blocked, most travel blogs with China content were blocked; even Wikipedia was blocked!

Bing is accessible in China as a search engine, but using it is like jumping through a portal to the internet in 2007. Every single term I searched for would bring up, like, five results from a decade ago! It was wild.

So, what’s the solution?

The answer is eSIMs. An eSIM is a digital SIM card for your phone that works exactly the same as any other SIM card would. But in China, an eSIM allows you to bypass all of the restrictions because it lets you to roam while you’re in the country rather than using the local internet. It works perfectly and there’s no way for the government to block them.

I used Airalo and AloSim while I was in China and they both worked great. Within a minute of touching down in the country, I was online and able to use the internet like I was anywhere else in the world. Both are priced at $16.50 for 5GB of data. I had slightly better coverage with Airalo but faster speeds with Alosim.

One thing to keep in mind is that you absolutely cannot run out of data while you’re in China or you’ll be screwed (speaking from experience here). If you run out of data on your eSIM while you’re in the country, you won’t be able to top-up the eSIM (as the eSIM sites and apps are blocked) and will lose access to an unrestricted internet.

What that means is that you won’t be able to pay for anything in China, because you need data in order to use Alipay! An absolute nightmare. Be very, very cautious that you don’t run out of data and top-up regularly to ensure you don’t come close!

If your phone isn’t eSIM-compatible (although most modern smartphones are), you have two alternatives: to use data roaming with the SIM card that you use at home (keep in mind this can work out to be expensive) or to buy a physical SIM card from Hong Kong to have shipped to your house before you travel — they have them with next-day delivery on Amazon in the U.S. and in the U.K.

Those are the two things I wanted to mention before I jumped into the prices: the costs of visas and the costs of eSIMs, and not to listen to anyone who tells you to rely on a VPN.

With that information out of the way, get ready to learn more about China, what you can expect from a trip there, and how much it costs. If you’re happy to step a little outside of your comfort zone, you’ll have an incredible experience: I met some of the loveliest people while I was there, and crossed some major attractions off my bucket list.

Go in with an open mind, be ready for some adventure and unpredictability, and you’ll have the time of your life!

What’s Included in this Post 

This budget breakdown covers how much I spent on accommodation, transportation, activities, and food while I travelled around China.

I’ve not included my flights into and out of China as this is going to vary significantly based on where you’ll be arriving from.

The amounts in this guide are listed primarily in U.S. dollars, simply because the vast majority of my readers are from the U.S. I also include a currency conversion into Chinese Yuan (CNY), as this is the local currency that you’ll use day to day, and summaries of costs in GBP and EUR.

While prices have risen a little since China reopened its borders post-pandemic, it’s not as noticeable as most other parts of the world. Sure, you can spend a fortune on travel here if you want to, but as I’ll show below, you definitely don’t have to.

Let’s get started!

The Cost of Accommodation in China 

Finding places to stay on a mid-range budget in China is fairly easy. In terms of what to look out for, the two most important aspects are the location and staff, especially if you’re a foreigner. Many Chinese cities are very large and heavily populated, so it really helps to be close to the things you want to see. I found that having staff who speak English and can offer good recommendations and advice makes a huge difference as well.

Guesthouses, hostels, and homestays usually start around $40 per night, while good mid-range hotels cost $70-120 per night, often including breakfast. That said, expect to be spending on the higher end of the range when you’re in Beijing and Shanghai.

Here’s where I personally stayed while travelling on a mid-range budget:

Beijing — Dasein Youlan Hotel ($110 a night)

You can’t get much better than a hotel located in a traditional Chinese hutong (narrow alleyway) within walking distance of the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven! There’s a small 7-Eleven nearby, too, along with plenty of restaurants, cafes, and a metro station. In addition to being in such a great location, the staff were very welcoming and friendly. The room was spacious, silent, and was cleaned every day — and replenished with free bottles of water, too! The property’s gardens were stunning, in particular, and so picturesque and peaceful.

Shanghai —  Kevin’s Old House ($109 a night)

What I loved about Kevin’s Old House was how unique it was! In a world where hotel chains vie to offer generic modern design and high-tech features, Kevin’s stands out from the crowd. It’s cosy and eclectic, and stepping inside the building leaves you feeling as though you’ve walked straight into 1930s Shanghai. It’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else in the city. It’s in an excellent location, too, close to all of Shanghai’s best restaurants and bars. The staff were wonderful, the breakfasts delicious, and I hugely appreciated having a washing machine in my room, too!

Yangshuo — The Bamboo Leaf Yangshuo ($60 a night)

Yangshuo has some incredible, stunning landscapes coupled with a smaller town feeling, and Bamboo Leaf is the perfect base for all your explorations. The facilities and rooms were beautiful and clean, including the onsite outdoor swimming pool with a stunning backdrop of the Yangshuo mountains. The onsite restaurant had delicious food in generous portions, but most of all, the staff really went out of their way to offer incredible service and hospitality. They were all incredibly knowledgeable about the area and went as far as sending location links through WeChat (messaging app) for the places I wanted to visit! Considering not everything in Yangshuo is properly marked, this was super helpful. It’s in a lovely quiet area away from the tourist centre: you can walk to the main market in about twenty minutes, but the hotel offers a free shuttle to and from town, plus bikes and e-bikes you can hire.

Hangzhou — Rock&Wood Cozy House ($100 a night)

Hangzhou was one of my favourite cities in China. There was just something endearing about walking down the Ancient Qinghefang Road or taking a paddle boat on scenic West Lake, and I was very happy to be staying at this cute guesthouse while I was in town. It’s in a quiet residential area only a few minutes walk from the tranquil lake, but still within easy reach of all the sights and attractions downtown. The host (Sally) couldn’t have done more for me, and had endless great sightseeing tips to offer, as well as cooking delicious Chinese and Western breakfasts on alternate days. The room was absolutely lovely, with cozy wooden decor and furniture and a super-comfortable bed. Needless to say, you’ll leave your stay here feeling both physically and mentally refreshed!

Chengdu — Buddha Zen Hotel ($74 a night)

Home of the famous pandas, Chengdu is the place to go to see these beautiful creatures up close. Beyond this, there are tons of temples to explore and authentic Sichuan cuisine to enjoy. I highly recommend staying at Buddha Zen Hotel while you’re there: a lovely hotel with a real “old world” feel, it’s it’s in a great neighbourhood full of traditional buildings, many of which have been converted into adorable cafes and restaurants around to help bring out your inner foodie. It’s on a quiet street, so you’ll still get a good night’s sleep, and you’re in good hands with the owner who will help make your stay comfortable, whether you need transport, local recommendations, or advice for how to get around.

Nanjing — Janling Hotel ($70 a night)

For many centuries, Nanjing was the capital of China. This makes a visit to this historical city worth it during your travels, especially considering it’s only a few hours from Shanghai. Jinling Hotel was the ideal place to stay while I was there, in an unbeatable location right in the heart of the city, and really close to a metro station so I could easily get to anywhere further afield that I needed to go. I found this hotel to be one of the most foreigner-friendly places I came across in China, with English-speaking staff and a great range of Western and local options in the restaurant. Reasonably priced and kept immaculately clean, I’d be only too happy to stay here again.

Xi’an – Eastwood Inn Xi’an ($45 a night)

If seeing the Terracotta Army Warriors (soldier figures that accompanied the tomb of China’s first emperor) intrigues you, then you’ll definitely want to pay a visit to the city of Xi’an. And you can stay at this lovely, affordable homestay while you’re there! You’re within walking distance of both a metro station and the Wenchang Ancient City Wall. My room was clean, with a comfy bed (not always the case in China!) and its own private bathroom. The staff were great, with plenty of recommendations of where to go and what to do, and the front desk is manned 24/7 in case of any issues. This is a comfortable, conveniently located, affordable homestay that’s perfect for a couple of days in Xi’an!

The Cost of Transportation in China

Getting around China is surprisingly easy. Thanks to the country’s vast network of high-speed trains, travel days in this country are nearly always fast, smooth, and uncomplicated. Yes, really. Navigating within the individual cities is pretty easy, too, thanks to the metro networks and ease of calling a taxi.

Unlike some other countries I’ve been to (cough, Kazakhstan, cough), where I encountered seemingly endless stopovers and slow, bumpy train rides to get anywhere, China felt like a breeze by comparison.

Underground Metro — If there’s an underground metro system available, this is one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest ways to travel around any city in China. I used the metro system in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, and it was always very quick and efficient. You can expect to pay around $0.40-1.25 (3-9 CNY) for a metro ride depending on the distance.

Most cities also offer 1-7 day passes which are often good value, especially anywhere that you’ll be regularly using the metro to get around. For example, the fare for a 1-day pass in Shanghai was $2.50 (18 CNY), while the fare for a 3-day pass was $6.25 (45 CNY). Definitely pretty reasonable!

Taxis/Didi — I used taxis a couple of times and if I was with a local friend of mine, we would take Didi, which is a Chinese Uber equivalent and part of the Alipay app. That being said, taxis are everywhere and really easy to hail in major cities, but not many taxi drivers speak English, so have a translator app handy or name a major landmark that you’re heading towards that they would recognise. 

Each Chinese city has a different base rate for taxis.  Bigger cities like Shanghai and Beijing start at $1.95 (14 CNY) for the first 3km, while other cities have a lower starting rate of around $1.10-1.40 (8-10 CNY). To give you an idea of a full taxi ride fare, from Beijing airport to the city centre (about a 40 minute drive) costs around $18-21 (130-150 CNY).

Note that taxis rarely accept foreign credit cards, so always have cash in the form of small bills on hand to pay your driver. 

Train — China has one of the biggest high-speed rail networks in the world, which links nearly every town and city. I took the train between most of the cities I went to, and it was always very reliable, quick, comfortable, and straightforward. Not to mention, I thought the prices were quite reasonable. 

As a tourist, you need to verify your ID when you pick up a ticket. So once I booked my tickets through 12Go Asia, this only meant that my ticket was issued, but it didn’t mean I had the ticket in hand. I needed to go to the train station ticket office to show my booking voucher and passport, and then be given my ticket. I’d recommend booking train tickets at least 3-4 days in advance.

Note that I traveled second-class on high-speed trains where possible. There are often cheaper seats available on the slow trains, but they usually take a lot longer to get where they’re going.

Here were some of the routes I took and their respective prices:

• Nanjing to Hangzhou: $23 (167 CNY)
• Hangzhou to Shanghai: $10 (73 CNY)
• Beijing to Nanjing: $72 (520 CNY)
• Shanghai to Guilin (sleeper): $84 (607 CNY)

Flights — Even though China is a large country, and it might feel like taking flights to get around makes sense, in most circumstances taking the train is better because of its high speed, punctuality, and lack of lengthy check-ins and wait times. Not to mention, it’s often cheaper to take the train anyway. In some cases, though, taking a flight can be an easier option, so here are some of the routes and their respective average prices from Skyscanner: 

• Beijing to Shanghai — $111 (802 CNY)
• Shanghai to Guilin — $110 (795 CNY)
• Guilin to Chengdu — $102 (737 CNY)
• Chengdu to Xi’an — $100 (723 CNY)

The Cost of Food in China

Summarising the food scene in China isn’t easy. With thousands of years of cultural history and millions of square miles of geography, you could spend a lifetime trying to eat every dish in the country and still not even come close to finishing the job.

As you might expect, the local climate and culture has a big impact on the kinds of food you’ll find in each area. There are eight major culinary regions in the country, but even those are split up into endless local variations. While it’s true to say that rice or noodles are a staple in much (although not all) of the country, after that, all bets are off as to what you might find on the menu.

The good news is that you don’t have to visit every far-flung corner to enjoy its food: the major cities have restaurants that cover every cuisine imaginable, both from within China and much further afield.

Let’s start with hotpot and bubble tea, something I could happily have eaten every day. There’s something really special about going to eat hotpot with a group of friends, and I just love the communal aspect of it. It’s less of a meal and more of an experience (although don’t get me wrong, the food part is good too!). 

If you’re unfamiliar with hotpot, it’s typically a simmering pot of seasoned broth, paired with thinly-sliced meats, veggies, mushrooms, noodles and more. You essentially cook and season your food by putting it into the pot, dipping it in a selection of sauces and then digging in. If you go with a decent size group, then you’ll probably pay around $15-20 (108-144 CNY) per person for a hotpot meal with a couple of drinks.

One of my other favourite food experiences was eating Peking Duck in Beijing, a dish that goes back as the Imperial era. Usually a Peking Duck meal includes thin slices of duck, wraps, and add-ons. If you go as a group, you’ll likely end up with an entire duck to share, so if you’re going alone or with a friend, just make sure you can order a smaller amount. You’ll likely pay around $10-12 (72-87 CNY) per person for this.

If you’re heading to Guangzhou or elsewhere in the Cantonese part of China, expect dim sum to feature heavily on your list of dining highlights. Again, it’s best experienced with others, since it means you’ll get to try more of the vast selection of small steamed or pan-fried dumplings, buns, and rice noodle rolls on offer. Expect to pay around $2 (15 CNY) per dish.

You’ve likely heard of kung pao chicken before, and maybe even tried it back home, but it’s a whole different experience when you’re eating it in Chengdu or somewhere else in the Sichuan region that it originated. It’s not a dish for the faint-hearted, full of heat from the dried chillies, a numbing sensation from the region’s famous peppers, and big, complex flavours from the sauce. If you can handle the intensity, though, it’s absolutely delicious! Served with rice, it’s often quite cheap as well: you’ll pay around $4-7 (30-50 CNY) for it.

The Shangdong region is famous for its seafood, and while you should definitely try some of the higher-end dishes like cong bao youyu (stir-fried sea cucumber) and weihe clam noodles, even the cheap eats are a culinary delight. My favourite was scallion pancakes, a low-cost yet delicious option for breakfast or lunch in particular. The crispy dough and delicious zing of the scallions meant that even though one really was enough, I often went back for a second anyway! The low prices helped with that decision: I never paid more than $1.40 (10 CNY) for one.

Speaking of cheaper eats, especially for lunch, I often grabbed something from a street vendor or at a food market, where a steamed bun, fried rice, or a dish of chow mein noodles would typically only cost around $2-3 (15-22 CNY). 

The Cost of Activities and Entrance Fees in China   

China is certainly the land of sightseeing. I’ve wanted to see the Great Wall of China for as long as I can remember, and it blew me out of the park. It was a beautiful sunny day in January and I could see the wall stretch on and on and thought to myself how lucky I was to see one of the wonders of the world. 

My best piece of advice would be to take a weekday tour that leaves early in the morning from Beijing, because The Great Wall itself is about a two-hour drive away from Beijing. It’s possible to take public transit, but I definitely saved time and had a smoother experience with a tour. We left around 6 a.m. and got there before 9 a.m., and there was a moment when we were the only seven people or so on that section of the wall—it was pure magic and also very rare. So trust me, the earlier you can get there the better, because the crowds start to roll in around 10 a.m. 

I booked through my hotel, and it cost around $40 for the tour which included entry and round-trip transportation from Beijing. Make sure to ask the people at your accommodation about tour companies because they will have a better idea of the best options, but do confirm whether the price includes transport, entry, cable car and toboggan tickets, or just some of those things.

Here’s a breakdown of some popular attractions in China and their respective costs: 

• (Beijing) The Great Wall of China: $6 (45 CNY) entry ticket, plus $14 (100 CNY) one way/$19.50 (140 CNY) return for the cable car/toboggan

• (Beijing) The Forbidden City: $8.40 (60 CNY) (April 1 – October 31) or $5.50 (40 CNY) (November 1 to March 31)

• (Beijing) Summer Palace: $8.40 (60 CNY) (April 1 – October 31), $2.80 (20 CNY) at other times

• Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding: $7.70 (55 CNY)

• Zhangjiajie National Park: $31.50 (227 CNY) (March 1 – November 30) or $20.50 (147 CNY) (December 1 – February 28)

• (Shanghai) Yu Garden: $5.50 (40 CNY) (April 1-June 30 and September 1-November 30), $4.20 (30 CNY) at other times

• (Hangzhou) West Lake: FREE

• (Xi’an) Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum: $16.70 (120 CNY)

Miscellaneous Costs

Travel insurance: If you’ve read any other posts on Never Ending Footsteps, you’ll know that I’m a great believer in travelling with travel insurance.

As someone who works in the travel industry, I’ve seen far too many Go Fund Me campaigns from destitute backpackers that are unexpectedly stranded in a foreign country after a scooter accident/being attacked/breaking a leg with no way of getting home or paying for their healthcare. These costs can quickly land you with a six-figure bill to pay at the end of it.

In short, if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.

Travel insurance will cover you if your flight is cancelled and you need to book a new one, if your luggage gets lost and you need to replace your belongings, if you suddenly get struck down by appendicitis and have to be hospitalised, or discover a family member has died and you need to get home immediately. If you fall seriously ill, your insurance will cover the costs to fly you home to receive medical treatment.

I use SafetyWing as my travel insurance provider, and recommend them for trips to China. Firstly, they’re one of the few companies out there who will actually cover you if you contract COVID-19. On top of that, they provide worldwide coverage, don’t require you to have a return ticket, and even allow you to buy coverage after you’ve left home. If you’re on a long-term trip, you can pay monthly instead of up-front, and can cancel at any time. Finally, they’re cheaper than the competition, and have a clear, easy-to-understand pricing structure, which is always appreciated.

With SafetyWing, you’ll pay just $1.50 a day for travel insurance.

How Much Does it Cost to Travel in China? 

It’s time to tally up all of my expenses to see my total travel costs! 

• Accommodation: $83 per day
• Transportation: $6 per day
• Food: $33 per day
• Activities/Entrance Fees: $24 per day

Average amount spent in China: $146 a day!