Should you visit Chengdu or Datong?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Chengdu and Datong. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Chengdu
Chengdu is in China's Sichuan Provence and is in what is known as the Red Basin. It is a particularly fertile region in China that is known for its agriculture. For this reason it is sometimes referred to as the "Land of Milk and Honey". The Funan River cuts through the city but has almost no boat traffic anymore. The city itself has a wonderful relaxed vibe compared to the rest of China and is filled with green parks and places to relax. It is considered one of the most livable cities in China.
Datong
If you're looking for an old world city, with a renovated feel, you might want to spend some time in Datong, China. This city was once walled-in and the newest initiative is to rebuild their great wall to maintain their old world charm. Datong is definitely done a lot to make itself a contender in the world of vacation destinations.
Which city is cheaper, Datong or Chengdu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $45, while the average daily cost in Datong is $50. 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 Chengdu and Datong in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $38 for a double occupancy room in Chengdu.
The prices for places to stay in Datong can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $21, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $42.
Food
Food in Chengdu costs travelers about $19 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
The average traveler spends about $18 per day in Datong 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
Chengdu $19
Datong $18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.
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Food and Cooking experiences in Chengdu:
$51
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Half Day Tour Chengdu Courtyard Cooking Class and Local Spice Market:
$56
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Sichuan cooking class half day tour:
$56
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Half-Day Chinese Bun Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit:
$56
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Private Sichuan Cooking Class including Local Wet Market Visit:
$59
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Half-Day Small Group Sichuan Cuisine Museum Tour with Cooking Class:
$64
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Half Day Chengdu Tofu Making Class with Mapo Tofu Cooking:
$70
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Authentic Chengdu Local Food Tour:
$73
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Half-Day Private Sichuan Hot-Pot Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit:
$78
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Half-Day Sichuan Cooking Class Experience in Chengdu:
$87
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Half day Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Class Tour:
$96
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Private tour to Panda Base and Cooking class in Chengdu:
$98
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Chengdu is $5.33 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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Datong than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $11 on transportation in Datong on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:
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Private Transfer from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou Valley hotel:
$350
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Downtown to Leshan or Mount Emei round way transfer for 2-day service:
$251
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Jiuzhaigou Airport Pick-up&Drop-off Transfer:
$223
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1-Day Chengdu Layover Tour: Leshan Giant buddha with Round Airport Transfer:
$200
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Downtown to Mountain Emei round way transfer for one day service:
$189
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1-Day Chengdu Layover Tour: Panda Base, city central with Round Airport Transfer:
$187
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Downtown to Leshan round way transfer for one day service:
$172
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Private Transfer from Chengdu to Mount Emei and Stops at Leshan Giant Buddha:
$150
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Panda Volunteer Porgram at Dujiangyan Panda Base with Private Guide & Transfer:
$145
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Chengdu Private Round Trip Transfer to Emei Mountain:
$128
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Chengdu Private Round Trip Transfer to Leshan Grand Buddha:
$118
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Downtown to Dujiangyan round way transfer:
$117
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Datong
Also for Datong, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Datong Private Round-Trip Transfer Service to Hanging Temple, Yungang Grottoes:
$100
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Datong Railway Station Private Departure Transfer from City Hotels:
$30
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Datong Yungang Airport Chauffeur Service , to Datong Transfer:
$12
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Dunhuang Private Round Trip Transfer to Jiayuguan and Xuanbi Great Wall:
$100
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Private Day tour of Datong From Beijing Including Transfer Service:
$828
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Private One Way Transfer Service to Pingyao from Datong:
$179
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Private One Way Transfer from Datong to Beijing:
$211
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Private Round Trip Transfer to Jiayuguan and Xuanbi Great Wall:
$58
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Private Round-Trip Transfer Service to Hanging Temple and Hengshan from Datong:
$70
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Private Round-Trip Transfer Service to Wutaishan Mountain from Datong:
$190
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Private Transfer Service from Datong to Pingyao Ancient City:
$238
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Private Transfer Service from Yungang Airport to Datong Hotel:
$29
Entertainment
Chengdu's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $14 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.
Sightseeing expenses in Datong, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $22 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Chengdu
Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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1 Day Chengdu Private Tour to Chengdu Panda Base & City Highlights Visiting:
$163
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1 Day Leshan Giant Buddha and Tea Terrace in Lost Town Tour:
$160
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1 Day Wolong Panda Nature Reserve Tour:
$218
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1-Day Chengdu Ancient History and Culture City Tour:
$175
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1-Day Chengdu Cultural Discovery:Jinsha,Shu Brocade Museum & Dufu Cottage Tour:
$184
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1-Day Chengdu Cultural Tour: Ancient Poets and Temples:
$184
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1-Day Chengdu Leshan Giant Buddha Private Tour With the Lunch and Boat tour:
$236
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1-Day Chengdu Panda Base and Leshan Giant Buddha GROUP Tour:
$140
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1-Day Chengdu Panda Base and Leshan Giant Buddha Private Tour with the Lunch:
$240
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1-Day Chengdu Panda Research Base and Sanxingdui Archeological Museum Tour:
$250
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1-Day Chengdu Private Tour: Dujiangyan Ancient River Irrigation and Temple Site:
$208
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1-Day Chengdu tour with Panda Base, Renmin Park,Wenshu Temple and Hot Pot Lunch:
$188
Tours and Activities in Datong
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Datong.
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Datong Hot Pot Foodie Tour:
$51
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Private Yangmingshan Volcano Tour:
$70
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Half Day Private Tour to Jiufen, Shifen Waterfall & Pingxi Sky Lantern:
$70
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Private Taipei Sunrise Tour in Yangmingshan National Park:
$70
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Half Day Private Tour to Yangmingshan National Park and Yehliu Geopark:
$80
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Taipei Private Car Charter Tour:
$82
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Private Tour to Maokon, Chih Nan Temple & Gondola Experience:
$92
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Full-Day Private Custom Taipei City Tour:
$100
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Private Datong Day Tour Arranged by Local Tour Guide Nancy:
$100
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Full-Day Private Northern Taiwan Tour from Taipei with Pickup:
$100
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Northern Taiwan and Taipei Countryside Full-Day Private Tour:
$100
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4 Hour Private Walking Tour of the Yungang Grottoes in Datong:
$101
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Chengdu may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $3.53 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Datong, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $11.
Sample the Local Flavors in Chengdu
Also in Chengdu, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Half Day Explore Chinese White Wine Distillery in Chengdu:
$128
When comparing the travel costs between Chengdu and Datong, we can see that Datong is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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