Which place is cheaper, Shanghai or Addis Ababa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Addis Ababa or Shanghai?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Shanghai, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Shanghai?
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest and most modern city in China. With a population of over 23 million, it is the economic and financial hub of the country. It also continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in China with regular changes to the city's layout and skyline. It is not uncommon for buildings to be torn down, rebuilt and then torn down and rebuilt again. The city also has skyscrapers that rank among the tallest in the world. It has an ever changing downtown and street scape. In Shanghai, the general mantra remains "out with the old, in with the new".
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Addis Ababa Prices
Ethiopia PricesShanghai Prices
China Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $34Shanghai $129
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $34, while the average daily cost in Shanghai is $129. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Addis Ababa and Shanghai in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $19Shanghai $80
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $38Shanghai $160
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Shanghai
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Shanghai? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $3.36Shanghai $3.84
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$0.23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $17
- Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
- Bole Airport Transfer: $25
- Half Day Addis Ababa City Tour with Airport /Hotel transfer: $29
- Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $34
- City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $35
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Shanghai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Shanghai:
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Taxi Ride$3.57
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Two Subway Tickets$0.82
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shanghai
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shanghai:
- Shanghai to Xi’an Bullet Train Ticket with Local Hotel Private Transfers : $245
- 1 Day-Pass for Disneyland Shanghai and Private Transfer Package: $245
- Shanghai Pudong Int’l Airport Private Arrival Transfer to Yiwu City Area : $226
- Shanghai To Beijing Bullet Train Ticket with Local Private Transfer : $211
- Shanghai-Suzhou private day tour with private transfer and Lunch: $204
- Shanghai Airport (PVG) Arrival Transfer (PVG Airport to central Shanghai): $178
- Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) Departure Transfer (central Shanghai to Airport): $178
- Ningbo City Private Arrival Transfer from Shanghai Pudong International Airport: $177
- Shanghai to Suzhou and Tongli Water Town Self-Guide Tour Private Round Transfer: $171
- Shanghai to Suzhou and Zhouzhuang Self-Guide Trip with Private Transfer: $171
- Shanghai to Hangzhou Private Transfer with Stop at Wuzhen : $166
- Shanghai to Hangzhou Private Transfer with Stop at Xitang Water Town: $157
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Shanghai?
Prices for flights to both Shanghai and Addis Ababa change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAddis Ababa $13Shanghai $37
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:
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Slice of Cake$0.05
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa
For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cooking Class, Injera baking & coffee ceremony: $48
- Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
- Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $58
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
- Flavors of Ethiopia Explore Traditional Cooking Class : $67
- Ethiopian cooking class: $68
- Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner: $75
- Addis Ababa Private City Tour with Immersive Cooking Class Lunch: $77
- Private City Tour with Folkloric Dinner: $80
- Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $86
- Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $90
- Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $90
Typical Food Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of dining costs in Shanghai are as follows:
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Dumpling Breakfast$1.37
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Desserts in Jinmao Building Observatory$20
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Ajisen Lunch for Two$7.13
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Cantelope$1.65
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Dumplings and Soup$2.06
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Duck Dinner$4.11
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Pastries$2.88
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Barbeque Dinner$8.78
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shanghai
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Shanghai.
- Aunthentic Local Food Tour in Downtown Shanghai : $3.46
- MingleX Dinner with Shanghai locals: $19
- Online Cooking Class Sesame Chicken by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Dim Sum by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Fried Rice by Sunflower Li : $20
- Online Cooking Class General Tso's Chicken by Sunflower Li: $20
- Authentic Shanghai Food Tour with Chi Gua Va: $35
- 3 Hours City Walk in French Concession and Street Food Tour: $60
- Shanghai Half day Biking and Local Food Tour: $66
- Evening Walking Food Tour: $69
- A Delicious Food Tour Through the Heart of the City: $71
- Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $3.47Shanghai $8.37
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- Layover in Addis: Tailored Tours for Transit Passengers: $25
- Addis Ababa highlight tour: $28
- Entoto hill and Mercato Market layover tour: $34
- Addis Ababa DayTours with Hotel/Airport pick up and drop off: $36
- Local Food Open-Air Markets Walking Tour& More: $42
- Pup crawl and nightlife tour in Addis Ababa.: $50
- Addis Ababa City Tour: $50
- Explores the Heart of Addis Ababa full day city tour: $50
- Layover in Addis Ababa 5 hours tour: $51
- Addis Ababa City Tour. : $52
- Addis Ababa city tour.: $54
- Guided City Tour: $55
Typical Entertainment Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Shanghai are as follows:
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30 Minute River Cruise for Two$27
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Zoo for Two$14
Tours and Activities in Shanghai
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shanghai are as follows:
- Half-Day Private Tour of Shanghai Bund with River Cruise or Tower View: $90
- Private Shanghai Flexible City Highlight Tour with Night Cruise: $221
- Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights: $108
- Shanghai Layover Tour to Xinchang Water Town with City Highlights Option : $135
- Yiwu International Trade City Private Day Tour from Shanghai by Bullet Train: $183
- Yuyuan Garden and Shanghai Museum Private Shanghai Day Tour: $175
- Zhouzhuang Water Town Self-Guided Day Tour from Shanghai: $88
- water village of shagnhai tour: $248
- 1 Day Shanghai Airport Layover Private Tour for City Highlights: $202
- 1 Day Shanghai Highlight Small Group Tour: $124
- 1 Day Shanghai Private Tour: $180
- 1 Days Shanghai Quality Group Tour: $110
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $2.86Shanghai $7.30
Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:
- Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
- Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $65
Sample the Local Flavors in Shanghai
Also in Shanghai, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- 4-Hour Shanghai Pub Crawl (bars & nightclub hopping): $23
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Shanghai, we can see that Shanghai is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and Shanghai is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Shanghai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shanghai than you might in Addis Ababa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Shanghai Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Shanghai?
Shanghai has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Addis Ababa. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Shanghai, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.