Should you visit Beijing or Rio de Janeiro?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Beijing and Rio de Janeiro can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China and, with 21.5 million people, it is the second most populated city in the world after Shanghai. It is a city that keeps pockets of its history hidden in old neighborhoods or back alleys, despite the constant change and modernization that goes on around it. As the capital city of China, there is plenty of history and culture. You can still get yourself lost in one of the last remaining hutongs, which are old neighborhoods that remain untouched by the city's modernization. The alleys that weave between the old homes are lined with drying clothes, corner markets, and people going about their daily lives the way they have for centuries. Surrounding these hutongs you'll find modern buildings and a booming economy, all threatening to destroying these last bits of Beijing's history. Beijing offers a glimpse into a microcosm that represents the entire country of China. Make sure you give yourself enough time in China to truly experience Beijing. You can pass a lot of time soaking up life in the city, which remains as diverse as the country it resides within.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. A portion of the city has been designated a World Heritage Site. The peak time to visit is during the city's famous Carnival festival, which is one of the most famous festivals in the world. However, Rio's appeal as a travel destination is apparent year around. The city has a wonderful natural harbour that is surrounded by Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca, creating an absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring setting. And you can't miss the beach, either!
Which city is cheaper, Rio de Janeiro or Beijing?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Beijing is $69, while the average daily cost in Rio de Janeiro is $80. 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 Beijing and Rio de Janeiro in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Beijing is $70. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Rio de Janeiro is $100. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
In Beijing travelers spend around $18 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
The average traveler spends about $15 per day in Rio de Janeiro 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.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Beijing $18
Rio de Janeiro $15
Typical Food prices in Beijing
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Beijing:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Beijing
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Beijing.
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Online Cooking Class:
$25
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Path Hutong Food Tour:
$30
-
Kung fu Show and Peking Roasted Duck Dinner:
$58
-
Private Temple of Heaven Walking Tour with Peking Duck Dinner or Kung Fu Show:
$62
-
Acrobatic Show w/ Peking Duck Dinner Private:
$68
-
Beijing Historical Center with Peking Opera and Duck Dinner:
$69
-
3 hours Morning or Afternoon Tea Tasting on Maliandao Street and Tea Restaurant Lunch or Dinner Tour:
$69
-
Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour:
$69
-
4-Hour Peking Duck Dinner & Kung Fu Show Night:
$80
-
Old Beijing Dinner Tour:
$80
-
Vegetarian / Peking Duck / Hotpot Dinner with Kungfu Show Private Tour:
$90
-
Authentic Local Food Tour in Center Beijing:
$90
Typical Food prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
-
Popcorn
$0.57
-
Corn on the Cob
$0.76
-
Hamburger
$0.95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rio de Janeiro
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rio de Janeiro.
-
Food Tour Rio de Janeiro:
$30
-
Cooking Class for Cacao Lovers:
$51
-
Feijoada Food Tour in Rio de Janeiro with Hotel pick-up and drop-off:
$55
-
Plant-based Brazilian Flavours Cooking Class:
$56
-
Dinner & Rio Scenarium Nightclub Admission with Transfer:
$60
-
Private Tour in Rio Scenarium with Dinner:
$65
-
Skip the line: Samba Show Admission & Transfer with Dinner Option:
$70
-
Dinner and Brazilian Music Show in Rio Scenarium:
$70
-
Small-Group Boozy 7-Recipe Brazilian Cooking Class:
$75
-
Brazilian Food And Caipirinhas Cooking Class:
$75
-
Food Tour Experience in Rio de Janeiro (Small Groups or Private):
$80
-
Secret Food Tours Rio de Janeiro:
$82
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $6.83 per day to get around in Beijing.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $6.20 per day to get around in Rio de Janeiro.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Beijing
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Beijing:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Beijing
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Beijing:
-
1-Day Beijing Layover Private Tour: Forbidden City with Round Airport transfers:
$190
-
1-Day Beijing Layover Tour: Mutianyu Great Wall with Round Airport Transfers:
$195
-
1-Day Bejing Layover Tour:Mutianyu Great Wall,Forbidden City & Airport Transfers:
$250
-
1-Hour Private Tai Chi Class in the Temple of Heaven Park with One Way Transfer:
$78
-
1-Way Private Transfer Service between Tianjin cruise Port and Beijing hotels:
$301
-
1-Way Private Transfer between Beijing Airport and City Hotels:
$30
-
2 Days Beijing to Feng Ning Ba Shang Grassland tour with private transfer:
$448
-
2-Day Customizable Beijing Highlight Tour with Airport Transfer Option:
$520
-
2-Day Highlights Group Tour With Beijing Airport Transfer Service:
$247
-
2-Day Private Beijing Tour with PEK Airport Transfer:
$265
-
2-Way Share Transfer Service to Mutianyu Great Wall from Beijing Capital Airport:
$84
-
3 Days Beijing Private Tour with Airport (Train Station) Transfer:
$305
Typical Local Transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
-
ARMORED Airport Transfer - Rio de Janeiro (COVID-19 Prepared):
$387
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Airport transfer: Rio de Janeiro - Buzios / Ilha Grande:
$242
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All-You-Can-Eat Brazilian Churrascaria in Rio de Janeiro with Transfer:
$55
-
Angra dos Reis Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro:
$115
-
Angra dos Reis Shared Transfer From Rio de Janeiro:
$61
-
Angra dos Reis to Daily Transfer:
$54
-
AquaRio Aquarium Guided Tour, Admission & Transfer:
$58
-
Arraial do Cabo Private Transfer From Rio de Janeiro:
$115
-
Arraial do Cabo Shared Transfer From Rio de Janeiro:
$52
-
Arrival Private Transfer GIG or SDU Airport to Rio City by Minivan:
$144
-
Arrival Private Transfer Galeão Airport GIG to Rio City by Business Car:
$135
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Arrival Private Transfer Galeão Airport GIG to Rio City by Luxury Van:
$98
Is it cheaper to fly into Beijing or Rio de Janeiro?
Prices for flights to both Rio de Janeiro and Beijing 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.
Entertainment
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $21 per person, per day in Beijing. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $17 per person, per day in Rio de Janeiro. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Typical Entertainment prices in Beijing
Here are a few typical costs in Beijing for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Summer Palace for Two
$9.26
-
Two Opera Tickets
$66
-
Temple of Heaven Park Entrance (for 2)
$11
-
Forbidden City (for 2)
$19
-
Forbidden City Tickets
$19
-
Audio Guides at Forbidden City
$12
Tours and Activities in Beijing
Here are a few actual costs in Beijing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Temple of Heaven Tickets Booking:
$4.00
-
MTY test product for tours:
$5.00
-
Beijing Summer Palace Admission Ticket:
$5.13
-
Train Tickets in China:
$5.34
-
Private Tailor made tour for your family only in China around:
$5.34
-
Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts Admission Ticket:
$6.45
-
Beijing Temple of Heaven Admission Ticket:
$7.06
-
Skip-the-Line Yonghe Lama Temple Ticket:
$7.30
-
Summer Palace Tickets Booking:
$8.00
-
Mutianyu: Great Wall Admission Tickets:
$8.18
-
Beijing Forbidden City Entrance Ticket (with Optional Guided Service):
$8.21
-
Beijing Automobile Museum Admission Ticket:
$8.71
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Rio Line Panoramic City Tour - Boulevard Route:
$10
-
Inside Rio Photography Walking Tour:
$10
-
Hiking Tour to Pedra do Telégrafo (Telegraph Stone):
$12
-
Carnival Backstage Tour - Visit a traditional Samba School:
$16
-
Rocinha Lucky Tour:
$16
-
Rio Street Art Experience 2 Hours:
$19
-
Half-Day Downtown Walking Tour:
$19
-
2 Hour Vidigal Favela Tour Discovery the Most Laidback Favela:
$19
-
Favela Tour -The path of Michael Jackson in Rio:
$20
-
Historical Downtown and Lapa - Walking Tour:
$20
-
Private Walking and Cultural Tour Rocinha-Rio de Janeiro:
$25
-
Boat Tour Guanabara Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Sightseeing:
$25
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Beijing may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $10 per day on alcoholic beverages.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Rio de Janeiro may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $9.41 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Beijing
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Beijing:
-
Evening Food Private Tour with Brewery Taproom Hopping at Slow Boat in Beijing:
$138
-
5-Hour Private Changyu Chateau Wine Tasting Tour from Beijing:
$178
-
Private Wonderful Beijing Bar Crawl Tour:
$195
-
Private Changyu Chateau Wine Tasting Tour and Mutianyu Great Wall Visit:
$228
Sample the Local Flavors in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rio de Janeiro:
-
Pub Crawl Rio de Janeiro:
$11
-
Skip the line: Ipanema Pub Crawl:
$28
-
Beautiful Imperial Petropolis City Tour Optional Lunch & Bohemia Brewery:
$34
-
Rio By Night Tour: Pub Crawl Experiencing Music, Dancing, Drinks & Local Culture:
$105
-
Petrópolis City and Brewery Bohemia Tour - Best of Rio's Mountains:
$135
-
Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour:
$160
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Beijing and Rio de Janeiro, we can see that Rio de Janeiro is more expensive. And not only is Beijing much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Beijing is in Asia and Rio de Janeiro is in South America, 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 Beijing would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Beijing 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 Rio de Janeiro would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rio de Janeiro than you might in Beijing.
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