A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Pingyao vs. Vienna for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Pingyao or Vienna?

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 Vienna. 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 Vienna?

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.

Vienna

Vienna is the largest city and capital of Austria. It has a population of over 1.7 million and is a cultural, political and economic center for the country. The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some complain that it feels more like a museum than a real city. Outside of the historical center though, is a young and vibrant city with a huge music scene, many street performers, and eclectic and fun restaurants and nightclubs.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in China, The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best 2-Week Tours in Austria, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Austria.


Which place is cheaper, Vienna or Pingyao?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Pingyao is $73, while the average daily cost in Vienna is $199. 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 Vienna in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pingyao $25
    Vienna $105
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pingyao $50
    Vienna $210
Compare Hotels in Pingyao and Vienna

Looking for a hotel in Pingyao or Vienna? 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 Pingyao


Hotels in Vienna


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: Vienna Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pingyao $14
    Vienna $21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pingyao

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Pingyao:


  • Taxi to Train Station
    $1.49

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pingyao

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pingyao:

  • Private Transfer Servcie to Mianshan (Mian Mountain) from Pingyao: $60
  • Private Round-Trip Transfer Service to Wutaishan from Pingyao: $190

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vienna

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Vienna:


  • Bus to Airport
    $34

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vienna

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

  • From Bratislava/Fast and Comfortable Bus Transfers: $10
  • Vienna Airport Bus: Convenient Transfers to and from Vienna: $16
  • Bratislava Bus Transfer to and from Vienna Airport: $21
  • Vienna Airport (VIE) to Vienna hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $43
  • Transfer from Vienna Airport (VIE) to Vienna City Center: $46
  • Transfer from Vienna airport to Bratislava: $55
  • Arrival Private Transfer Vienna Airport VIE to Vienna by Sedan: $70
  • Schwechat Airport Private Transfer to Vienna City: $71
  • Vienna Airport (VIE) Private Transfer to Vienna City/Hotels: $72
  • Private Transfer Vienna Airport (Vienna City Hotel): $73
  • Private Direct Transfer From Vienna Airport to Bratislava: $77
  • Private Transfer to Vienna Airport (One Way): $79

Is it cheaper to fly into Pingyao or Vienna?

Prices for flights to both Vienna 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Pingyao $36
    Vienna $64
Typical Food Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of dining costs in Pingyao are as follows:


  • Casual Lunch (for 2)
    $5.38
  • Mango Juice
    $0.75

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vienna

For Vienna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Evening Cruise on Danube River & Canal with Optional Dinner: $99
  • Strauss Dinner Show: $113
  • Vienna : MIRAGE MAGIC DINNER SHOW: $113
  • Burlesque Ohlala Dinner Show: $113
  • Sixx Paxx Dinner Show: $113
  • Vienna Guided Food Tour with 7 Food Tastings & a Secret Dish: $122
  • Vienna Food Tour: Coffeehouses, Markets, Lunch & Street Food: $135
  • The Viennise Food Tour: The World of Yesterday: $137
  • Vienna Food Tour: Bites & Sights Hidden Local Tastings: $143
  • Nuit des Lumières - The Candlelight Dinner Concert in Vienna: $148
  • Schnitzel and Strudel: Shared Cooking Class: $149
  • Best of Food Tour Vienna: $154

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pingyao $20
    Vienna $43
Typical Entertainment Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pingyao are as follows:


  • All Day Bike Rental (for 2)
    $2.99
  • Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)
    $7.47
  • Bike Parking Fee (for 2)
    $0.60

Tours and Activities in Pingyao

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

  • 1-Day Pingyao Ancient Town Sightseeing Walking Tour: $170
  • 1-Day Pingyao tour to Wang Family's Compound and Zhangbi Ancient Fortress: $206
  • 3-Hour Private Walking Tour of Pingyao Ancient City: $76
  • All Inclusive Pingyao Private Tour to Qiao Family Compound and Shuanglin Temple: $142
  • One Day Tour Exploration of Pingyao Old Town and Wang Family Mansion: $183
  • Pingyao Ancient City Full-Day Walking Tour: $145
  • Pingyao Day Tour: Wang Family Mansion and Zhangbi Ancient Castle: $171
  • Pingyao Day Tour: Wang's Family Compound and Shuanglin Temple: $175
  • Pingyao Private Tour: Shuanglin Temple And Wang's Compound: $269
  • Pingyao in One Day: Including City Highlights and Shuanglin Temple Private Tour: $204
  • Shuanglin Temple Tour or Entry Ticket Only Option: $18
  • Private Day Tour in Pingyao Including Zhenguo and Shuanglin Temple: $289

Tours and Activities in Vienna

For Vienna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Vienna Highlights Audio and Self Guided Tour: $3.42
  • Vienna's Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Imperial Adventure: $3.42
  • Self-Guided Tours In Vienna With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.42
  • Entrance tickets for the KunstHausWien. Museum Hundertwasser: $4.58
  • Vienna Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $4.58
  • Podcast Tour The Torn Vienna of the Third Man: $5.48
  • Vienna Prater Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $5.72
  • Krems Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $5.72
  • Vienna Self Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
  • Vienna Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h10 and 26 Audio Commentaries: $6.75
  • Belvedere - Audio Guide and Self Guided Tour (No Palace Ticket): $6.85
  • Vienna Arts & Culture Self-Guided Walking Tour: $6.87

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pingyao $14
    Vienna $19

Sample the Local Flavors in Vienna

Also in Vienna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Vienna Nights Pub Crawl: $14
  • Viennese Wine Tasting in a Private Hidden Wine Cellar: $22
  • Vienna to Parndorf Outlet: Shopping, Shuttle & Wine Tasting: $55
  • Home-hosted Wine Tasting in Vienna: $64
  • Vienna Food and Wine tasting tour of Hidden Gems for Small Groups: $134
  • Vienna : Vienna Forest Tour with Underground Lake and Wine Tasting: $149
  • Wine Tasting Tour: $154
  • Wachau Valley Wine Tasting Bike Tour from Vienna: $154
  • Austrian Private Wine Tasting Evening: $172


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pingyao and Vienna, we can see that Vienna is more expensive. And not only is Pingyao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pingyao is in Asia and Vienna is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. 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 Vienna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vienna 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 Vienna Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Pingyao or Vienna?

Vienna has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Pingyao. When comparing the sizes of Pingyao and Vienna, 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.