Which place is cheaper, Guilin or Pingyao?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pingyao or Guilin?
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 Pingyao and Guilin. 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: Pingyao or Guilin?
Pingyao
Pingyao is a small city in the Shanxi Province of China, dating back over 2700 years. The city is most famous for their old town, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is one of the best preserved ancient walled cities in the world dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The climate in Pingyao is influenced by monsoons, and therefore gets hot and humid summers and chillier springs. Autumn is a great time to visit as temperatures are fairly mild-in the 50-60's Fahrenheit- and you can avoid the heavy rains of summer. Winter is also a pleasant time to visit, especially since temperatures tend not to dip below 30 and there is not much snow or bad weather.
Guilin
Guilin is a city in Southern China situated on the west bank of the Li River with Hunan to the north. Its name means, "Forest of Sweet Osmanthus," owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. Products like tea, sugar, and wine, can be made from the tree and are found in many shops throughout Guilin. A popular tourist destination, the city is renowned for its scenery of karst topography with unique mountains jutting out of the urban landscape.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in China, The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in China, and The Best 2-Week Tours in China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPingyao $54Guilin $67
The average daily cost (per person) in Pingyao is $54, while the average daily cost in Guilin is $67. 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 Pingyao and Guilin in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPingyao $23Guilin $34
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPingyao $46Guilin $68
Compare Hotels in Pingyao and Guilin
Looking for a hotel in Pingyao or Guilin? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pingyao $13Guilin $5.77
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pingyao
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Pingyao:
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Taxi to Train Station$1.38
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pingyao
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pingyao:
- Private Round-Trip Transfer Service to Wutaishan from Pingyao: $190
- Private Transfer Servcie to Mianshan (Mian Mountain) from Pingyao: $60
- Privater Transfer from Datong to Pingyao with driver: $115
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Guilin
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Guilin are as follows:
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Taxi$2.76
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guilin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guilin:
- Private Arrival Transfer: Guilin Train Stations to Downtown Hotel: $17
- Private Departure Transfer from Hotel to Guilin Train Stations: $17
- Private Arrival Transfer: Guilin International Airport (KWL) to Downtown Hotel: $25
- Private Departure Transfer: Downtown Guilin Hotel to Airport (KWL): $25
- Private Airport Transfer:Guilin Hotel to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport: $35
- Private Airport Transfer: Guilin Liangjiang International Aiport to Guilin Hotel: $35
- Private Transfer from Guilin hotel to Yangshuo hotel: $37
- Guilin Railway stations Transfer Service: $37
- Transfer from Guilin Liangjiang Airport to Guilin City Center: $41
- Private Guilin Airport Transfer to Yangshuo: $42
- One Way Transfer Service between Guilin city and airport: $43
- Private Arrival Transfer: Guilin Train Stations to Yangshuo: $49
Is it cheaper to fly into Pingyao or Guilin?
Prices for flights to both Guilin and Pingyao 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 dayPingyao $19Guilin $22
Typical Food Prices in Pingyao
Some typical examples of dining costs in Pingyao are as follows:
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Casual Lunch (for 2)$4.98
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Mango Juice$0.69
Typical Food Prices in Guilin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Guilin:
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Fresh Coconut Drink$1.38
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guilin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guilin.
- Half day Yangshuo Cooking lesson Small Group Tour: $62
- Full-Day Li-River with the 4 Star Luxury Boat VIP Room and Yangshuo Cooking Tour: $286
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pingyao $18Guilin $28
Typical Entertainment Prices in Pingyao
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pingyao are as follows:
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All Day Bike Rental (for 2)$2.76
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Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)$6.91
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Bike Parking Fee (for 2)$0.55
Tours and Activities in Pingyao
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Pingyao are as follows:
- Half-Day Private Walking Tour of Pingyao Ancient City: $59
- 2-Hour Guided Private Bike Tour to see the Hidden Pingyao & Tea Break: $60
- Pingyao Food Walking Tour : $67
- 1-Day Pingyao Ancient Town Sightseeing Walking Tour: $113
- Private Tour: Wang's Family Compound and Shuanglin Temple From Pingyao: $116
- 3-Hour Private Walking Tour of Pingyao Highlights: $125
- Pingyao Ancient City Full-Day Walking Tour: $129
- Pingyao Day Tour: Wang Family Mansion and Zhangbi Ancient Castle: $132
- All Inclusive Pingyao Private Tour to Qiao Family Compound and Shuanglin Temple: $142
- Private Day Tour: Pingyao Highlights of Old Town and City Wall: $154
- Private Old Town Highlights Day Tour: $160
- Private Day Tour in Pingyao Including Zhenguo and Shuanglin Temple: $164
Typical Entertainment Prices in Guilin
Here are a few typical costs in Guilin for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entrance to the Caves$17
Tours and Activities in Guilin
Here are a few actual costs in Guilin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Guilin Yangshuo & Longji Rice Terrace 4 days tour: $21
- 1-DAY Private Longji Rice Terraces and Minority Villages Tour: $45
- Guilin Four lakes night cruise with the English speaking driver from Guilin hotel: $47
- Guilin City Center Walking Group Tour at Night for Three Hours: $50
- Half-Day Self-Guided Yangshuo Xianggong Hill Sunrise Tour: $52
- Li River Cruise Ticket Booking (E-ticket & Seat Reservation): $54
- Private Full-Day City Tour with Fubo Hill: $59
- Full-Day Guilin Essence and Lifestyle Walking Tour: $69
- Private Bike Tour: Yangshuo Countryside: $72
- Kayaking Adventure with Local Guide: $72
- Yangshuo Old Town and Li River Cruise from Guilin: $72
- One Day Private Longshen Rice Terraces Tour Including Lunch: $73
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPingyao $13Guilin $5.73
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pingyao and Guilin, we can see that Guilin is more expensive. And not only is Pingyao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pingyao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pingyao 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 Guilin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Guilin than you might in Pingyao.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pingyao Expensive? and Is Guilin Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pingyao or Guilin?
Guilin has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Pingyao. When comparing the sizes of Pingyao and Guilin, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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.