How much does a trip to China cost per day?
As a planning range, and excluding international flights, budget travellers spend roughly RMB 250 to 450 (about US$35 to 65) per day, mid-range travellers RMB 700 to 1,300 (US$100 to 180), and comfortable travellers RMB 1,800 to 3,500 or more (US$250 to 500 or more). Prices rise sharply during Spring Festival and Golden Week, when hotel rates commonly increase by 50 to 200%.
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Those ranges assume a mix of local transport, a paid attraction most days and meals from street food up to local restaurants. Accommodation is the largest variable: hostel dorms and budget guesthouses sit around RMB 60 to 250 a night, mid-range hotels around RMB 350 to 700, and four and five star or international brands from RMB 800 upwards.
Three things break the pattern. Tibet runs far higher, roughly US$120 to 155 per person per day, because a licensed guide, driver and permits are compulsory for foreign visitors. Harbin hotel rates can double or triple between November and the ice festival season from late December to February. And rail travel is worth pricing separately: budget roughly RMB 0.4 to 0.5 per kilometre in second class, so Beijing to Shanghai is around RMB 553 and Shanghai to Hangzhou around RMB 73.
Budget ranges are planning estimates rather than audited figures, and fares and ticket prices drift. Our payments guide covers how money actually works day to day, and the best time to visit guide explains when those prices spike.