Should you visit Bali or Shanghai?
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 Bali and Shanghai can help you decide which place is right for you.
Bali
Known as the "Island of the Gods," it's not difficult to see why the Gods would want to set up shop in Bali. With a beautifully diverse landscape of hills, mountains, coastlines, beaches, vibrant rice fields and volcanic hillsides, you'll easily go into sensory overload.
Bali is home to 4 million people who all hold true to a deeply spiritual and unique culture. With champion surfing, world class resorts and challenging hiking trails, this Indonesian island accommodates travelers from every walk of life. It's often called, "paradise on earth, " and no one disagrees.
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".
Which city is cheaper, Shanghai or Bali?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Bali is $64, while the average daily cost in Shanghai is $103. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Bali and Shanghai in more detail.
Accommodation
Bali's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $72. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $36.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $146 for a double occupancy room in Shanghai.
Food
Bali food costs typically run travelers around $18 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
The average traveler spends about $19 per day in Shanghai for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Bali $18
Shanghai $19
Typical Food prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
-
Coffee
$1.38
-
Lunch for Two
$15
-
Bali Cafe for Two
$30
-
Lunch for Two
$8.97
-
Lunch for 2
$9.94
-
Dinner for 2
$11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.
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Eat while chef is cooking in front of you:
$24
-
Withlocals your Way: 100% Personalised Bali Private Food Tour:
$39
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Bali Cooking Class:
$39
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Romantic Dinner by Oceana Restaurant & Bar:
$74
Typical Food prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of dining costs in Shanghai are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shanghai
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Shanghai.
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Online Chinese Cooking Class:
$22
-
Old Shanghai Breakfast Food Tour:
$52
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Cooking Class of Dumplings and Chinese Buns:
$56
-
3-Hour Shanghai Summer Night Local Dinner and Shopping Private Tour:
$65
-
Private Chinese Cooking Class in Shanghai with Vegetarian Option:
$69
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Private Authentic Chinese Cooking Class in Shanghai with a Lovely Local:
$70
-
3-Hour Shanghai City Walking Tour with Dinner:
$74
-
Shanghai yummy food tour:
$75
-
Chinese Cooking Class in a Family Home:
$75
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A Bite of Shanghai Small-Group Food Tour:
$80
-
River Cruise, Yuyuan, Tianzifang and Wonton Cooking Class:
$85
-
Shanghai Hairy Crab Dinner:
$85
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Bali is $8.04 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
The average price of local transportation around Shanghai is $3.47 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Bali
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:
-
Airport Transfers:
$16
-
Airport Transfer Service from Area Ubud / Tanah Lot / Pecatu:
$23
-
Airport Transfer Service from Area Ubud / Tanah Lot / Pecatu (8 seater):
$41
-
Airport Transfer Service from Area Ubud / Tanah Lot / Pecatu (13 Seater):
$52
-
Departure Private Transfer Nusa Dua or Seminyak to Bali Airport DPS by Minivan:
$52
-
Airport transfer and tour service:
$56
-
Bali Departure Private Transfers from Bali Central to Bali Airport DPS:
$83
-
Crete Private Transfer from Bali city to Heraklion (HER) Airport:
$108
-
Private Transfer from Bali to Sitia (JSH) Airport:
$394
Typical Local Transportation prices in Shanghai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Shanghai:
-
Taxi Ride
$4.03
-
Two Subway Tickets
$0.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shanghai
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shanghai:
-
Private Transfer To/From Pudong Airport - Shanghai Hotels:
$12
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station:
$20
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport (SHA):
$20
-
Private Transfer: Hotel to Shanghai Stadium (Football Match, League of Legends):
$20
-
Hongqiao Airport(SHA)-Hotel Downtown One way Private Transfer:
$21
-
Private Transfer to Shanghai Railway Station from City Hotels or Outskirts:
$21
-
Panda Transfer: Private Shanghai Airport/Hotel Transfer:
$22
-
Private Transfer to Huangpu River Cruise Terminal:
$22
-
Private Transfer to ERA Acrobats Show at Shanghai Circus World:
$22
-
Private Transfer from Shanghai Maglev Train Station to City Area:
$24
-
Private Transfer between Qibao Ancient Water Town and Shanghai City Area:
$24
-
Private Transfer between Shanghai Pudong New Int’l Expo Centre and City Area:
$24
Entertainment
Bali's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $9.63 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Shanghai's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $7.56 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Typical Entertainment prices in Bali
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bali are as follows:
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Spa for Two
$60
-
Snorkelling Trip
$14
-
Cooking School
$31
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
-
Ubud Traditional Tour Private Guided by Local - Free WiFi:
$18
-
Bali Private Tour by Budhi:
$19
-
Bali Private Guided Tour : Best point of Ubud & Uluwatu Sunset - Free WiFi:
$20
-
Tour and Transport Services:
$21
-
From Nusa Dua : Private Guided Tour to Ubud - Free WiFi:
$21
-
Discover Hidden Hills & Twin Waterfall Private Guided Tour - Free WiFi:
$25
-
Tukad Cepung Waterfall - Tirta Gangga - Lempuyang Private Guided Tour Free WiFi:
$25
-
Private UBUD Tour:
$37
-
Tanah Lot-Jatiluwih-Beratan Temple-Banyumala Waterfalls-Private Tour:
$37
-
Sunset Private Guided Tour in Uluwatu with Sea Walker Experience:
$40
-
Bali Private Tour Customize:
$40
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From Nusa Dua : Discover Ubud Kintamani & Waterfall on Private Tour - Free WiFi:
$40
Typical Entertainment prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Shanghai are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Shanghai
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shanghai are as follows:
-
half day tour of shanghai:
$5.34
-
Shanghai Yu Garden Ticket Booking:
$10
-
Shanghai Zhujiajiao Ancient Town Admission Ticket:
$11
-
Shanghai Maglev Train Ticket and Metro Pass(Pick Up in Shanghai):
$12
-
Day Tour of Zhujiajiao and Huangpu River with Night Cruise:
$16
-
Shanghai Jinmao Tower Observation Desk Admission Ticket:
$18
-
Buddhist Art Tour at LWH Gallery in Shanghai:
$23
-
Full-Day Private Customized Tour:
$25
-
Shanghai Bus Tour Hop-on Hop-off Premium Ticket including City Top Attraction Admissions:
$30
-
Like a Local Customized Guided Tour:
$30
-
Shanghai French Concession 2-Hour Walking Tour:
$30
-
Shanghai Tower Observation Deck Admission Ticket:
$31
Alcohol
The average person spends about $2.84 on alcoholic beverages in Bali per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
The average person spends about $6.60 on alcoholic beverages in Shanghai per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Shanghai
Also in Shanghai, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Shanghai Luxury Bar Crawl in 5-star Hotel or Boutique Hotel:
$255
-
3 Hour Local Craft Beer Crawl with Brewery Tour:
$350
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bali and Shanghai, we can see that Shanghai is more expensive. And not only is Bali much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bali would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bali 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 Bali.
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