A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Bagan vs. Shenzhen for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Bagan or Shenzhen?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Bagan and Shenzhen can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Bagan or Shenzhen?

Bagan

Located in central Myanmar (formerly Burma), Bagan is an ancient city best known as the home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas, and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.

Shenzhen

Located in the Guangdong Province of southeastern China, Shenzhen is a metropolis that connects Hong Kong to China's mainland. It is one of China's most populous cities, inhabited by vast array of people from other Chinese regions.  It is perhaps best known for it shopping, collection of amusement parks, green parks, museums and galleries, and a few historic sites. It is on UNESCO's Creative Cities list.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in China, and The Best Cultural Tours in China.


Which place is cheaper, Shenzhen or Bagan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $34, while the average daily cost in Shenzhen is $148. 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 Bagan and Shenzhen in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Bagan $7.36
    Shenzhen $96
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Bagan $15
    Shenzhen $192
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Shenzhen

Looking for a hotel in Bagan or Shenzhen? 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.

Hotels in Bagan


Hotels in Shenzhen


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: Shenzhen Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Bagan $3.57
    Shenzhen $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:

  • Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Bagan Nyaung-U Airport (NYU): $14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shenzhen

Also for Shenzhen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • A One-Way Disneyland Pick-Up Transfer to Hong Kong Hotel: $33
  • A Premium Airport Transfer Service Hong Kong with Mercedes Benz: $39
  • Bicycle Airport Transfer Service | Hong Kong: $196
  • Guangzhou One Day Tour with Bullet Train Transfer from Hong Kong: $188
  • HONG KONG Airport Private Transfer Service: $148
  • Hong Kong Airport (HKG) Transfer to Shenzhen by Toyota Alphard: $220
  • Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Hong Kong - Arrival Private Transfer: $45
  • Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Hong Kong -Round-Trip Private Transfer: $90
  • Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Hong Kong hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $104
  • Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal - Arrival Private Transfer: $68
  • Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Kai Tak Port - Round- Trip Private Transfer: $137
  • Hong Kong Airport Chauffeur Service, Hong Kong Airport Transfer: $66

Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Shenzhen?

Prices for flights to both Shenzhen and Bagan 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Bagan $10
    Shenzhen $37

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bagan

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bagan.

  • Romantic Sunset Dinner At Bagan Viewing Tower: $91

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shenzhen

For Shenzhen, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Hong Kong: Fresh Produce Market and Cook-to-Order Food Tour: $39
  • Shenzhen Food Tour with Locals: $47
  • Hong Kong: 7-Course Hong Kong Street & Restaurant Food Tour: $59
  • Hong Kong Victoria Harbour Sunset Tour with Star Ferry & Dinner: $88
  • Best Street Food Tour With a Local Guide in Hong Kong: $97
  • Hong Kong's Tin Hau Hidden Gems Food Tour with 7+ Local Tastings: $107
  • Hong Kong Food Tour: Central and Sheung Wan Districts: $107
  • Hong Kong Market Walking Tour & Chinese Cooking Class: $131
  • Hong Kong Best Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $147
  • Kowloon Street Food Tour Private & Personalized with a Local: $173
  • Hong Kong Private & Personalized Street Food Tour with a Local: $173
  • Hong Kong Elite Night Tour: Cruise, Aquarium Dinner, Peak: $193

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Bagan $57
    Shenzhen $18

Tours and Activities in Bagan

Here are a few actual costs in Bagan for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Amazing Bagan, full day tour by car and guide: $90
  • Bagan Antique Day Tour in Bagan: $86
  • Bagan Classics Private Temples Tour: $159
  • Bagan Cycling Tour ( Villages & Temples Cycling Explorer): $129
  • Bagan Fullday Sightseeing by Car and Horse-cart: $184
  • Bagan Horse Cart Ride Tour with Puppet Show: $170
  • Bagan Instagram Photo Tour: $179
  • Full Day Bagan Tour: $295
  • Best Bagan One Day Tour With Tour Guide: $48
  • Day Cruise Bagan to Mandalay: $31
  • Full Day tour In Bagan UNESCO World Heritage: $50
  • Full day Adventure Trip in Bagan with Tuk Tuk: $72

Tours and Activities in Shenzhen

For Shenzhen, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Secret Hong Kong: Hidden Local Spots Self Guided Adventure: $1.16
  • Introduction to Hong Kong: Central Tip Based Walking Tour: $2.61
  • Between Capitalism & Communism: Hong Kong History Tip Based Tour: $2.61
  • Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Hong Kong: $4.71
  • Skip the Line! Walk to the Peak: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.00
  • Hong Kong Ghost Tour (Self-Guided Audio Tour): $5.00
  • Hong Kong Observation Wheel Ticket: $5.45
  • Hong Kong Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
  • Audio Tour of Hong Kong: Hollywood Road Loop: $6.99
  • Markets in Motion: Audio Tour of Mong Kok: $6.99
  • Yau Ma Tei: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in the Heart of Kowloon: $6.99
  • Victoria Peak: Climb to the summit via the Mid-Levels escalato on an audio tour: $6.99

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Bagan -
    Shenzhen $20


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bagan and Shenzhen, we can see that Shenzhen is more expensive. And not only is Bagan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bagan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bagan 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 Shenzhen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shenzhen than you might in Bagan.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bagan Expensive? and Is Shenzhen Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Bagan or Shenzhen?

Shenzhen has a larger population, and is about 3340 times larger than the population of Bagan. When comparing the sizes of Bagan and Shenzhen, 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.