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

Should you visit Pingyao or Yakushima?

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 Yakushima. 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 Yakushima?

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.

Yakushima

Yakushima, Japan is a UNESCO World Heritage island located north of Okinawa and off the south east of of Kyushu. The island is well-known to Japanese tourists but not so much to international ones, making it a bit of a hidden gem to international tourists. This also means that English isn't spoken as much as in larger cities, so make sure to brush up on your Japanese and bring a dictionary.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in China, The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Japan, and The Best Luxury Tours to Japan.


Which place is cheaper, Yakushima or Pingyao?

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

  • Pingyao Prices
    China Prices
    Yakushima Prices
    Japan Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Pingyao $69
    Yakushima $141

The average daily cost (per person) in Pingyao is $69, while the average daily cost in Yakushima is $141. 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 Yakushima in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pingyao $23
    Yakushima $61
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pingyao $46
    Yakushima $122
Compare Hotels in Pingyao and Yakushima

Looking for a hotel in Pingyao or Yakushima? 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 Yakushima


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: Yakushima Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pingyao $13
    Yakushima $51
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pingyao

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


  • Taxi to Train Station
    $1.40

Is it cheaper to fly into Pingyao or Yakushima?

Prices for flights to both Yakushima 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 $34
    Yakushima $50
Typical Food Prices in Pingyao

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


  • Casual Lunch (for 2)
    $5.05
  • Mango Juice
    $0.70

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pingyao $19
    Yakushima $21
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)
    $2.80
  • Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)
    $7.01
  • Bike Parking Fee (for 2)
    $0.56

Tours and Activities in Pingyao

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

  • Shuanglin Temple Tour or Entry Ticket Only Option: $18
  • Pingyao Ancient City Full-Day Walking Tour: $145

Tours and Activities in Yakushima

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

  • Private Guided Tour: $336

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pingyao $14
    Yakushima $6.61


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pingyao and Yakushima, we can see that Yakushima 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 Yakushima would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Yakushima 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 Yakushima Expensive?.