Which place is cheaper, Yaeyama Islands or Chengdu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chengdu or Yaeyama Islands?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Chengdu and Yaeyama Islands. 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, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Chengdu or Yaeyama Islands?
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.
Yaeyama Islands
The Yaeyama Islands is a cluster of islands located in the southwestern part of Japan, close to Taiwan. There are nine different islands, varying from small islets to large holiday resort islands. The Yaeyama Islands are one of the most popular destination in Japan due to their beautiful beaches and underwater ruins. Yaeyama is also known for having their own language and writing system. For the most part, everyone on the Islands speak Japanese, but you'll often find the Yaeyama writing on T-shirts in souvenir shops or scattered around Yaeyama.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Tokyo, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChengdu $50Yaeyama Islands $93
The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $50, while the average daily cost in Yaeyama Islands is $93. 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 Chengdu and Yaeyama Islands in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChengdu $21Yaeyama Islands $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChengdu $42Yaeyama Islands $108
Compare Hotels in Chengdu and Yaeyama Islands
Looking for a hotel in Chengdu or Yaeyama Islands? 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: Yaeyama Islands Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chengdu $5.93Yaeyama Islands $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:
- Chengdu City to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport (CTU) - Departure Private Transfer: $19
- Chengdu Panda Breeding Base Ticket w/ Optional Transfer or Guide: $20
- Chengdu Airport (CTU) to Chengdu - Arrival Private Transfer: $21
- Chengdu to Chengdu Airport (CTU) - Departure Private Transfer: $21
- [Airport Transfer] Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport Kosheng City Transfer High reputation for service! : $22
- Chengdu Panda Breeding Base Ticket w/ Private Transfer/Guide: $23
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu Train Stations: $23
- Private Arrival Transfer: Chengdu International Airport (CTU) to Hotel: $23
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu International Airport (CTU): $23
- Private Transfer from Chengdu hotel to Chengdu Train Station: $27
- Private Transfer Chengdu (TFU & CTU) Airport Pickup Service: $29
- Departure Transfer from City Hotel to Chengdu Railway Station: $30
Is it cheaper to fly into Chengdu or Yaeyama Islands?
Prices for flights to both Yaeyama Islands and Chengdu 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 dayChengdu $22Yaeyama Islands $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.
- Sichuan Opera Face-Changing Show And Hotpot Dinner Evening Tour: $40
- Half-Day Chinese Bun Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit: $56
- Private Sichuan Cooking Class including Local Wet Market Visit: $59
- Sichuan cooking class half day tour: $60
- Chengdu evening food tour by local guide: $60
- Half day Chengdu Dumpling making Cooking Class: Make from Scratch: $62
- Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $69
- Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit: $69
- Half-Day Dandan Noodles Cooking Class with Local Spice Market Visit: $70
- Sichuan Opera Show VIP Seat Tickets w/ Transfer or Dinner: $71
- Half Day Chengdu Tofu Making Class with Mapo Tofu Cooking: $72
- Half-Day Chengdu Farm Cooking Class & Spice Market Exploration: $75
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chengdu $16Yaeyama Islands $8.62
Tours and Activities in Chengdu
Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- local people's opera house experience: $10
- Chengdu Panda Research Base Tickets And Half Day Tour(Private): $16
- Chengdu Sichuan Opera Show Ticket - Shu Feng Ya Yun: $17
- Chengdu Panda Base and Dujiangyan One-Day Private Tour: $17
- Skip the Line: Sichuan Opera Chengdu Ticket: $21
- Giant Panda Breeding Research Base Ticket: $22
- Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base Ticket: $22
- Panda Breeding Center (Panda Base) & Taoism temple tour: $28
- Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera House Tickets Booking: $29
- Sichuan Opera Shu Feng Yan Yun Evening Show Ticket: $29
- Chengdu Sichuan Opera Evening Show Ticket-Shu Feng Yan Yun : $29
- Sichuan Opera Night show Tickets at sichuan opera Museum : $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChengdu $3.93Yaeyama Islands $6.28
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chengdu and Yaeyama Islands, we can see that Yaeyama Islands is more expensive. And not only is Chengdu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Chengdu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chengdu 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 Yaeyama Islands would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Yaeyama Islands than you might in Chengdu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chengdu Expensive? and Is Yaeyama Islands Expensive?.
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.