A Travel Price Comparison for China Dalian vs. Suzhou for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Asia / Comparisons /
Jump to  down-arrow

Should you visit Dalian or Suzhou?

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

Should I visit Dalian or Suzhou? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Dalian or Suzhou?

Dalian

Dalian, China is a very large peninsula city located in the southernmost part of the Liaoning Province in northeast China. The area has a wealth of history, with roots in Russian and Japanese rule, resulting in unique architecture and many universities that attract foreign students and teachers. Dalian is also known for their beautiful green spaces and relaxing beaches which juxtapose a lot of the more industrial cities found throughout other areas of northern China.

Suzhou

Suzhou is a city in Jiangsu province famed for its beautiful gardens and traditional waterside architecture, featuring elaborate canals and bridges. Located on the Yangtze Delta, the city consists largely of waterways making Suzhou a kind of 'Venice of the Orient.' It is also a hub for scholars, artists, and skilled craftsmen.

Which city is cheaper, Suzhou or Dalian?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Dalian is $88, while the average daily cost in Suzhou is $87. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Dalian and Suzhou in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dalian $46
    Suzhou $33
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dalian $92
    Suzhou $66
Compare Hotels in Dalian and Suzhou

Looking for a hotel in Dalian or Suzhou? 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 Dalian


Hotels in Suzhou


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: Dalian Hotel Prices and Suzhou Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dalian $35
    Suzhou $49

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dalian

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

  • Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport Chauffeur Service , to Dalian Transfer: $27
  • Dalian Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Railway Station: $30
  • Private Departure Transfer:Hotel to Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport(DLC): $32
  • Private Arrival Transfer to Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport from Dalian Downtown: $36
  • Private Departure Transfer: City Hotel to Any Guiyang Railway Station: $36
  • Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport Chauffeur Service , to Dalian Transfer: $40
  • Dalian Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport: $56
  • Private Round-Trip Transfer:Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport(DLC): $62
  • Dalian Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Railway Station: $89
  • Dalian Private Arrival Transfer: Airport to Hotel: $89

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Suzhou

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Suzhou:

  • 1-way Transfer between Suzhou Downtown and Ningbo Downtown Per Vehicle Price: $244
  • Private Suzhou Garden and Water Town Highlight Trip with Hotel or Railway Station Transfer: $240
  • Shanghai Pudong Airport to Suzhou Chauffeur Service, Shanghai Airport Transfer: $240
  • Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Suzhou Chauffeur Service, Shanghai Airport Transfer: $240
  • Full-Day Suzhou Gardens Exploration with Hotel or Railway Station Transfer: $227
  • Private Day Tour: Suzhou Highlights with Hotel or Railway Station Transfer: $227
  • Private Day Tour: Gardens and Old Street in Suzhou with Hotel or Railway Station Transfer: $214
  • Suzhou to Beijing Bullet Train Ticket with Local Private Transfer: $178
  • Round-trip Transfer to Shanghai Disneyland from Suzhou Per Vehicle Price: $173
  • Transfer from Suzhou Downtown to Yangzhou Downtown Per Vehicle Price: $166
  • Transfer from Suzhou Downtown to Shanghai Pudong Airport Per Vehicle Price: $149
  • Hangzhou Private Transfer from Suzhou with Stop-over at Xitang Water Town: $138

Is it cheaper to fly into Dalian or Suzhou?

Prices for flights to both Suzhou and Dalian 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
    Dalian $23
    Suzhou $28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Suzhou

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

  • Suzhou Alleyway Walking Food Tour With Locals: $49
  • Half-Day Private Customized Suzhou Highlights with Lunch or Dinner Option: $123
  • Private Suzhou Night Tour:Master of the Nets Garden, Ancient Canal with Dinner: $145
  • Zhouzhuang Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Lunch or Dinner Option: $154

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dalian $4.09
    Suzhou $7.97

Tours and Activities in Dalian

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dalian.

  • Dalian City Highlight Private Day tour: $73
  • Dalian City Private Day Tour in Your Way: $150
  • Flexible Dalian City Highlights Private Day Tour with Lunch: $188
  • Private Dalian Night Tour: $200
  • Private 2 Day Tour of Dalian City: $250
  • All Inclusive Private Lushun(Port Arthur) Full-Day Tour: $300
  • All-Inclusive Private Dalian Port Layover Tour with Lunch: $300
  • All Inclusive 2-Day Private Tour of Beijing City Highlights from Dalian by Air: $738
  • 3-Day Private Tibet Tour from Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake and Khampa La Pass: $925
  • 4 Days Private History and Culture Tour of Beijing and Xi'an: $1,088
  • All Inclusive 3-Day Private Tour of Xi'an and Beijing from Dalian with Hotel: $1,278
  • 7-Day Private China Tour from Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin and Shanghai: $2,328

Tours and Activities in Suzhou

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Suzhou are as follows:

  • 1-day private tour to Suzhou (Departure from Shanghai): $214
  • 2-Day Customized Suzhou Sightseeing Tour with Tongli Water Town: $295
  • 3-Day Private Tibet Tour from Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake and Khampa La Pass: $925
  • 4-Hour Flexible Suzhou City Highlights Private Tour: $114
  • 4-Hour Suzhou City Private Tailor-Made Tour: $67
  • 4-Hour Suzhou Private Flexible Tour with Garden and Boat Ride Option: $67
  • 4-Hour Suzhou Private Tour: Humble Administrator’s Garden,Tiger Hill and Canal: $125
  • 4-Hour Tongli Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Boat Ride: $89
  • 4-Hour Zhouzhuang Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Boat Ride: $115
  • 6-Day Private China Highlights Tour from Beijing, Xi'an and Guilin: $2,058
  • All Inclusive Suzhou Highlight Tour with Boat Ride and Lunch: $179
  • All Inclusive Suzhou Private City Tour with Garden Exploration: $118

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dalian $5.39
    Suzhou $5.47

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Dalian and Suzhou, we can see that Dalian 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.


When is the best time to visit Dalian or Suzhou?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Dalian or Suzhou in the Summer?

Both Suzhou and Dalian during the summer are popular places to visit.

In the summer, Dalian is cooler than Suzhou. Typically, the summer temperatures in Dalian in July are around 24°C (75°F), and Suzhou is about 28°C (83°F).

Suzhou gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Dalian. Dalian usually gets more rain in July than Suzhou. Dalian gets 202 mm (8 in) of rain, while Suzhou receives 128 mm (5 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July
    Dalian 24°C (75°F) 
    Suzhou 28°C (83°F)

Should I visit Dalian or Suzhou in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Dalian and Suzhou.

In October, Dalian is generally cooler than Suzhou. Temperatures in Dalian average around 15°C (58°F), and Suzhou stays around 19°C (65°F).

In October, Dalian usually receives less rain than Suzhou. Dalian gets 30 mm (1.2 in) of rain, while Suzhou receives 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October
    Dalian 15°C (58°F) 
    Suzhou 19°C (65°F)

Should I visit Dalian or Suzhou in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Dalian as well as Suzhou.

It's quite cold in Suzhou in the winter. The weather in Dalian can be very cold. Dalian is much colder than Suzhou in the winter. The temperature in Dalian is usually -4°C (25°F) in January, and Suzhou stays around 4°C (39°F).

Dalian usually gets less rain in January than Suzhou. Dalian gets 9 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Suzhou receives 39 mm (1.5 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January
    Dalian -4°C (25°F) 
    Suzhou 4°C (39°F)

Should I visit Dalian or Suzhou in the Spring?

Both Suzhou and Dalian are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.

In the spring, Dalian is cooler than Suzhou. Typically, the spring temperatures in Dalian in April are around 11°C (51°F), and Suzhou is about 15°C (58°F).

It rains a lot this time of the year in Suzhou. In April, Dalian usually receives less rain than Suzhou. Dalian gets 44 mm (1.7 in) of rain, while Suzhou receives 102 mm (4 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April
    Dalian 11°C (51°F) 
    Suzhou 15°C (58°F)

Typical Weather for Suzhou and Dalian

Dalian Suzhou
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan -4°C (25°F) 9 mm (0.4 in) 4°C (39°F) 39 mm (1.5 in)
Feb -2°C (28°F) 12 mm (0.5 in) 5°C (41°F) 59 mm (2.3 in)
Mar 4°C (38°F) 14 mm (0.6 in) 9°C (48°F) 82 mm (3.2 in)
Apr 11°C (51°F) 44 mm (1.7 in) 15°C (58°F) 102 mm (4 in)
May 17°C (62°F) 46 mm (1.8 in) 20°C (67°F) 113 mm (4.5 in)
Jun 21°C (69°F) 83 mm (3.3 in) 24°C (75°F) 152 mm (6 in)
Jul 24°C (75°F) 202 mm (8 in) 28°C (83°F) 128 mm (5 in)
Aug 25°C (77°F) 132 mm (5.2 in) 28°C (82°F) 133 mm (5.2 in)
Sep 21°C (70°F) 56 mm (2.2 in) 24°C (75°F) 156 mm (6.1 in)
Oct 15°C (58°F) 30 mm (1.2 in) 19°C (65°F) 61 mm (2.4 in)
Nov 7°C (44°F) 26 mm (1 in) 13°C (55°F) 52 mm (2 in)
Dec -0°C (32°F) 6 mm (0.2 in) 7°C (44°F) 35 mm (1.4 in)


Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
Sign Up

More City Comparisons
Xigatse vs. Dalian
Xigatse vs. Suzhou
Lhasa vs. Dalian
Lhasa vs. Suzhou
Deqin vs. Dalian
Deqin vs. Suzhou
Zhengzhou vs. Dalian
Zhengzhou vs. Suzhou
Zhangye vs. Dalian
Zhangye vs. Suzhou
Jinghong vs. Dalian
Jinghong vs. Suzhou
Yichang vs. Dalian
Yichang vs. Suzhou
Yangshuo vs. Dalian
Yangshuo vs. Suzhou
Xi'an vs. Dalian
Xi'an vs. Suzhou
Xiamen vs. Dalian
Xiamen vs. Suzhou
Wuyuan vs. Dalian
Wuyuan vs. Suzhou
Wuhu vs. Dalian
Wuhu vs. Suzhou
Tianjin vs. Dalian
Tianjin vs. Suzhou
Taiyuan vs. Dalian
Taiyuan vs. Suzhou
Share This Page
Pin This Page
Dalian vs. Suzhou Travel Comparison

Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.