How Much Does China Cost for Foreign Visitors? 20-City Budget Guide 2026
Wondering if $50/day is enough for Beijing? Or how much a 2-day Shanghai transit really costs? This budget reference gives foreign visitors realistic daily ranges for lodging, meals, transport, and taxi buffers across 20 Chinese transit cities — split into Budget, Standard, and Business tiers. All prices in RMB (¥) with USD conversion notes, verified against recent traveler reports in April 2026.
Planning ranges verified against recent traveler reports and booking platforms across 21 transit cities. Actual prices still vary by season, neighborhood, exchange rate, and booking channel.
北京
Beijing Daily Budget: Lodging, Meals & Transport (¥/USD)
| Category | Budget | Standard | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging per night | ¥180-320 | ¥396-704 | ¥810-1440 |
| Meals per day | ¥90-160 | ¥198-352 | ¥405-720 |
| Local transport per day | ¥18-50 | ¥25-90 | ¥43-150 |
| Taxi/rideshare buffer | ¥90-210 | ¥135-357 | ¥225-588 |
| Cash fallback reference | ¥520 | ¥820 | ¥1500 |
Planning reference only. Actual prices vary by season, neighborhood, exchange rate, and booking channel. Currency conversion is a daily-refreshed planning estimate, not a current booking quote.
Hotel links use a best-effort foreign-guest registration filter where the partner supports it. Always confirm passport check-in with the property before travel.