Traveling to China: our complete budget breakdown

And just like that, we’ve made it through our first country on our round-the-world journey! After spending over 2 months traveling through China, it’s time to look back and share our budget breakdown with you. Honestly, we couldn’t have asked for a better start to our adventure. China is truly an extraordinary destination—full of surprises, breathtaking landscapes, warm-hearted people, and experiences that completely transport you to another world! Every single day, we felt more grateful that we decided to explore this incredible country. And to think, this is only the beginning! So let’s dive into our complete review and travel budget for China!

Traveling in China: culture shock guaranteed

China tends to be overlooked by backpackers when they’re planning trips to Asia. And to be completely honest, we can’t really tell you what inspired us to spend 2 months in this country… Probably its impressive size that intrigued us, along with the desire to discover an incredible variety of landscapes! And we can honestly say we weren’t disappointed—not even close!

We’ve heard a few times that China is a challenging country to travel through because of the language barrier. We won’t sugarcoat it—the language barrier is very real, much more so than in the rest of Asia! In China, it’s not uncommon to find yourself in a train station or restaurant where only Mandarin is used… Not a single word of English is spoken or understood. So yes, sometimes it gets a bit tricky to communicate with words. But no worries! In those situations, we just used hand gestures! The lack of English really shouldn’t stop you from discovering this amazing country!

Beyond the incredible culture shock that comes with the ever-changing landscapes as you travel across the country, sometimes the surprise factor comes from the Chinese people themselves. They’re absolutely wonderful people with smiles that never quit, but they do indeed have some rather unique habits… We talked about this in more detail in another article if you’re interested in learning more…

Safety and hospitality

When we decided to embark on our round-the-world trip, one of our family’s biggest concerns was our safety. Of course, we knew our loved ones were worrying for nothing, but honestly, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect in China either. Well, after 2 months in the Middle Kingdom, we can say that China is far safer than many European countries in our opinion!

We never once encountered any violent situations or any form of aggression. People were always wonderful to us and, above all, their honesty exceeded all our expectations! Yes, in China, there’s no such thing as “tourist pricing” like you find in Southeast Asian countries. Here, everyone pays the same price. Certain very touristy spots do charge inflated prices, of course. However, they’re not inflated just for us white tourists—they’re inflated for all tourists, including Chinese visitors! And on buses and trains, there’s always a fixed price—no need to negotiate.

Also, in China, if someone drops something in the street, even a worthless coin, there will always be someone who rushes to pick it up and return it to its owner. On trains, we never worried about our belongings and always slept soundly! In short, on that front, China is definitely a relaxing country. Another characteristic of Chinese people that we encountered everywhere, whether in the north or south, is their incredible sense of hospitality!

Budget for traveling in China

So, how much does a trip to China cost? As promised, we kept detailed accounts for each country we visited to give you an idea of the cost of living for backpacker-style travel, while still maintaining a certain level of comfort.

Total budget

In total, we spent 2,938.8 euros over 67 days for 2 people, which works out to an average of 22 euros per day per person. This average includes absolutely all our expenses: food, accommodation, public transportation (excluding plane tickets to get to China), entrance fees, and little extras. Here are the detailed figures:

You’ll notice that food was our biggest expense. Well, we definitely didn’t hold back and took great pleasure in trying as many dishes as possible! And this category also includes drinks… We won’t reveal what percentage of the budget went to beer, but we’re well aware there’s room to cut back on that expense!

What we’ve called “extras” is basically a catch-all category for everything that’s not really a mandatory expense, plus unexpected costs. For example, a birthday gift for our couchsurfing host, some medicine, a tripod for the camera, postcards, razor blades for the gentleman, etc.

It’s also important not to underestimate the cost of transportation in China. While trains and buses aren’t expensive per kilometer, keep in mind that the distances are so enormous that you really need to factor this in.

Budget by region

In China, your travel budget can vary quite a bit depending on which region you’re in. For our part, we wanted to stay under 25 euros per day per person. Honestly, in some regions, keeping an eye on expenses and prices was super easy, while in the big cities, it was sometimes harder.

Here are our expenses based on the regions we traveled through. The prices shown are for 2 people.

Notes:

• We stayed 3 nights in Beijing with couchsurfing, plus 1 night on the train to Xi’an. So the accurate accommodation budget would actually be 16 euros per night for 2 people. The transportation budget includes the train ticket purchased for Xi’an.
• In Chengdu, we did 5 days of couchsurfing, so the average rate for paid accommodations would actually be 15 euros for 2, not 10.4 euros.
• Canton (or Guangzhou) was a bit of a special case budget-wise… Let’s just say we did couchsurfing for 2 out of 3 nights and, most importantly, we hardly spent anything because we were grocery shopping and eating at our host’s place. But on the last day, we treated ourselves to an amazing restaurant and blew our remaining yuans on extras at the airport… So yeah, Canton’s averages should be taken with a grain of salt!

Cost of living examples in China

Here are some price examples to give you an idea of the cost of living there:

• Price of a takeaway coffee at Starbucks: 35 yuan (4 euros)
• Price of a coffee (outside Starbucks): around 10 yuan (1.2 euros)
• Price of a meal from a street vendor: between 14 and 50 yuan for 2 (between 1.5 and 6 euros)
• Price of a meal at a mid-range restaurant: 80 yuan for 2 (around 10 euros)
• Price of a local beer at the supermarket: 5 yuan (less than 1 euro)
• Price of a local beer at a bar: 18 yuan (2.2 euros)
• Price of laundry at a hostel: usually 10 yuan per kilo, sometimes 10 yuan per load (1.2 euros)

Transportation budget

During our stay, we decided to travel only by road and rail—we didn’t take any flights! All in all, our transportation budget for China came to over 950 euros for 2 people. That might seem like a lot, but ultimately, it’s not that much considering the number of kilometers we covered :).

Here’s a breakdown of what we paid for long-distance transportation in China:

• Train from Beijing to Xi’an: 440 yuan (54 euros) for 1,200 km
• Train from Xi’an to Chengdu: 208 yuan (25 euros) for 842 km
• Bus from Chengdu to Kangding: 140 yuan (17 euros) for 400 km
• Bus from Kangding to Tagong (round trip by private minibus): 200 yuan (24 euros) per person for 220 km
• Bus from Kangding to Xiangcheng: 160 yuan (19 euros) for 490 km
• Bus from Xiangcheng to Shangri-La: 90 yuan (11 euros) for 200 km
• Bus from Lijiang to Kunming: 160 yuan (19.5 euros) for 590 km
• Bus from Kunming to Yuanyang (round trip): 300 yuan (36 euros) for 540 km
• Train from Kunming to Guilin: 375 yuan (45 euros) for 1,434 km and 22 hours on the train!
• Bus from Guilin to Xingping (round trip): 80 yuan per person for 130 km
• Bus from Guilin to Longji rice terraces (round trip): 100 yuan (12 euros) for 150 km
• Train from Guilin to Guangzhou: 220 yuan (27 euros) for 980 km

In total, during these 2 months in China, we covered over 8,000 km with nearly 4,500 kilometers by train, 3,000 kilometers by bus, and a good number of kilometers on foot—though those don’t count toward the budget ;).

Entrance fees & activities budget

Also, entrance fees for national parks and tourist attractions are rarely huge, but they add up quickly. Especially in China, where the smallest mountain or viewpoint becomes an excuse to charge you an entrance fee. Here are the prices we paid for all the visits we made:

• Great Wall of China, Jinshanling section: 65 yuan (7.8 euros)
• Forbidden City in Beijing: 60 yuan (7.3 euros)
• Summer Palace in Beijing: 60 yuan
• Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an: 120 yuan (14.5 euros)
• Mount Hua (cable car not included): 160 yuan (19.3 euros)
• Mount Emei (4-day pass, cable car not included): 160 yuan (19.3 euros)
• Leshan Giant Buddha: 80 yuan (9.6 euros)
• Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding: 55 yuan (6.7 euros)
• Tiger Leaping Gorge: 100 yuan for entrance + viewpoints in the gorge (12 euros)
• Yuanyang Rice Terraces: 100 yuan, but we managed not to pay it 😉
• Longji Rice Terraces without cable car: 100 yuan

Accommodation budget

Average room prices

When we arrived in China, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect from hostels or small hotels. After these 2 months, one thing is certain: China has a ton to offer backpackers! We only had one bad hotel experience, and that was in Beijing at the very beginning of our trip when we had to find accommodation at the last minute.

• Price of a night in a hostel dorm: between 50 and 60 yuan per person (between 6 and 7.5 euros)
• Price of a private double room in a small guesthouse: between 80 and 150 yuan per room (between 9 and 18 euros)

Our hostels in China

• Dongpo Inn at the Great Wall: More than the hostel itself, it’s the exceptional location that makes it a must-visit! 150 yuan for a private room with a shared bathroom. Note: This was the price we paid in 2013. Since then, things have changed quite a bit—the rooms now apparently have private bathrooms.
• Zhilam Hostel in Kangding: A fantastic hostel run by an American who’s been living in China with his wife for over 20 years. The staff is super friendly and gave us tons of great advice for the rest of our journey through Sichuan. Plus, they serve a yak meat burger that’s to die for! The price for a night in an 8-bed dorm is 50 yuan per person.
• HanTang Inn Hostel in Xi’an: Ideally located, this charming little hotel won us over! The night isn’t very expensive, it’s clean and well-situated, and breakfast is included. Bonus: when they saw our budget was limited, they spontaneously offered to give us a single room instead of a double. Since all their beds are 140 cm wide by default, it’s more than enough for a couple. Price for a dorm bed: 135 yuan and for a double room: 500 yuan.
• Angela’s guesthouse in Tagong: Also run by an American woman married to a Tibetan nomad, this little hostel has incredible charm! In addition to serving amazing yak burgers, Angela is a true gem who organized our 3-day trek in Sichuan with a local guide. A night in the dorm costs 480 yuan.
• Teddy Bear Hostel in Emeishan: A great youth hostel with a cool atmosphere and very clean rooms. Bonus points for their food, which we found excellent and, for once, at a very reasonable price! The price for a double room with a private bathroom is 80 yuan per night. In short, excellent value for money!
• Hump Hostel in Kunming: A nice place with good food. A great starting point when you arrive in Yunnan… The dorms are super spacious, and the view from the hostel terrace is pretty nice! A dorm bed costs 100 yuan and expect to pay 420 yuan for a double room with a private bathroom.
• This Old Place in Xingping: This charming hostel was a real favorite! The private rooms in the new building are modern and extremely well-equipped. And how can we forget their absolutely divine wood-fired pizza! After almost 2 months of noodles and rice, it was such a treat! A double room with a private bathroom costs around 220 yuan.

Review of our trip to China

Some random numbers that sum up our trip

• 31: different beds we slept in
• 6: kilos lost in total for both of us
• 50: the price in yuan of our cheapest hostel night for 2 (6 euros)
• 160: our most expensive night at 160 yuan (20 euros)
• 5: nights spent on buses or trains
• 2: chicken feet eaten
• 4: days sick in total for both of us
• 0: arguments (so far ;))
• 184: instant coffees
• 4,780: meters, the highest altitude reached in China
• 5: varieties of Chinese beer tested. The total number of beers is unfortunately not estimable, or at least, we prefer not to reveal the numbers in hopes of keeping a good reputation!
• 4: Chinese wines tested, of which 3 were closer to vinegar than wine…
• 17: articles written about China

Travel anecdotes

• Fabienne’s worst memory: Probably the bath in the manure pit… For those who missed that episode, it happened in the Xingping region.
• Ben’s wort memory: A night in the Tibetan region of Sichuan where digesting yak cheese proved more difficult than expected… And of course, it’s on those nights that we decided to stay with locals and the only toilet was a communal pit 200 meters away from the house…
• Fabienne’s best memory: A beautiful marriage proposal at sunset on the Great Wall! And fun fact, I had my wedding dress made in Hoi An, Vietnam!
• Ben’s best memory: When Fabienne said “Yes!” on that same wall ;).

Summary of major stops

Summarizing more than two months of travel is very difficult… Here are the highlights that made the biggest impression on us.

• Our first impressions: an article in the heat of the moment about our feelings after a few days in the Middle Kingdom
• The guide to taking the Beijing metro: our survival manual for the capital’s subway system
• Visiting the Great Wall of China: our tips for choosing which section of the wall to visit and how we managed to be alone
• Our Beijing visitor’s guide: all the info for visiting the Chinese capital with our best recommendations
• Visiting the Terracotta Army in Xi’an: everything you need to know before going + things not to miss in and around the city
• Mount Hua: how we climbed the steepest stairs of our journey
• We followed up with climbing Mount Emei, or how we completely destroyed our glutes and calves!
• What we thought of the Chinese people and their manners
• How yak got the better of Ben in western Sichuan
• The continuation of our treks, heading to the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge
• To learn how to get around China, we wrote a guide to transportation in China
• Want to see us in action? Check out a Chinese-style fitness session
• Sunrise over the Yuanyang rice terraces, one of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen!
• Want to see balls of fur? Head to Chengdu, to the Giant Panda Center 🙂
• And to finish with some gastronomy: the 10 commandments of Chinese food

And that wraps up this long series of articles about China, an amazing and fascinating country! We’re leaving this country completely thrilled! To plan your trip, we’ve written a complete travel guide with all our tips—you’ll have everything you need to plan your itinerary and know a few things before you go… And if you want to follow the rest of our adventures, meet us in Taiwan and Hong Kong!

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