Should you visit Lhasa or Suzhou?
Should I visit Lhasa or Suzhou? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Lhasa
Lhasa is the famed capital of Tibet, and is one of the most fascinating cities in the world to visit. It's name means "Land of the Gods" and the city dates back more than 1,300 years. It's elevation is 3,650 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest cities in the world. It sits on the northern slopes of the Himalayan Mountains by the Lhasa River and is the second largest city on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining.
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 Lhasa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Lhasa is $63, while the average daily cost in Suzhou is $91. 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 Lhasa and Suzhou in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $70 in Lhasa For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Suzhou is $68. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
Lhasa food costs typically run travelers around $23 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 $29 per day in Suzhou 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
Lhasa $23
Suzhou $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lhasa
For Lhasa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
4-Day Lhasa City Essential Group Tour including Hotel and Welcome Dinner:
$592
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
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Lhasa than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $2.29 on transportation in Lhasa on average per day.
The cost of a taxi ride in Suzhou is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $51 per person, per day, on local transportation in Suzhou.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lhasa
Also for Lhasa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Lhasa Private Arrival Transfer: Railway Station to Hotel:
$89
-
Lhasa Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Railway Station:
$89
-
Lhasa Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport:
$89
-
Lhasa Kongga Airport Chauffeur Service, Lhasa Airport Transfer, Pickup:
$260
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Suzhou
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Suzhou:
-
Transfer from Suzhou SIP Hotel to Shanghai Pudong Airport Per Vehicle Price:
$97
-
Transfer from Suzhou Downtown to Yangzhou Downtown Per Vehicle Price:
$166
-
Transfer from Suzhou Downtown to Shanghai Pudong Airport Per Vehicle Price:
$149
-
Transfer from Suzhou Downtown to Hangzhou Downtown:
$84
-
Suzhou to Beijing Bullet Train Ticket with Local Private Transfer:
$178
-
Suzhou Private Transfer to Zhouzhuang Water Town with Shanghai Drop-off Option:
$84
-
Suzhou Private Transfer to Tongli Water Town with Shanghai Drop-off Option:
$84
-
Suzhou Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Railway Station:
$89
-
Suzhou Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport:
$89
-
Suzhou Private Departure Transfer: City Hotel to Railway Station:
$23
-
Suzhou Private Arrival Transfer: Airport to Hotel:
$89
-
Shanghai Pudong International Airport Private Departure Transfer from Suzhou:
$87
Is it cheaper to fly into Lhasa or Suzhou?
Prices for flights to both Suzhou and Lhasa 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
Sightseeing expenses in Lhasa, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $15 per day, per person.
Entertainment and activities in Suzhou typically cost an average of $8.34 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Lhasa
For Lhasa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
4 Days Top Lhasa Group Tour:
$53
-
Highlight Tibet Potala Palace Tour with Tibet Travel Expert Guide:
$95
-
Day Tour: Tibet Ganden Monastery:
$178
-
Day Tour: Tibet Drepung and Sera Monasteries:
$180
-
Day Tour: Tibet Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple:
$237
-
Tibet Entry Permit Plus Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Streets and Sera Monastery Tour:
$263
-
Half- Day Potala Palace Tour from Lhasa:
$278
-
2-Day Lake Namtso Experience Small-Group Tour from Lhasa:
$353
-
2-Day Gyantse and Shigatse Tour from Lhasa:
$359
-
Lhasa overview tour - 2 days:
$360
-
The Best Bet 4 Days Lhasa Tour with Local Tibet Travel Expert:
$421
-
3-Night Essential Lhasa Tour:
$474
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
Typically, people visiting Lhasa spend on average $6.17 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about $5.72 on alcoholic beverages in Suzhou per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lhasa and Suzhou, we can see that Suzhou is more expensive. And not only is Lhasa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lhasa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lhasa 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 Suzhou would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Suzhou than you might in Lhasa.
Related Articles for Lhasa
Related Articles for Suzhou
