Should you visit Shanghai or Amsterdam?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Shanghai and Amsterdam. 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. So, let's dig into it.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest and most modern city in China. With a population of over 23 million, it is the economic and financial hub of the country. It also continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in China with regular changes to the city's layout and skyline. It is not uncommon for buildings to be torn down, rebuilt and then torn down and rebuilt again. The city also has skyscrapers that rank among the tallest in the world. It has an ever changing downtown and street scape. In Shanghai, the general mantra remains "out with the old, in with the new".
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the capital, and most popular tourist destination in the Netherlands. There are over one million residents in the metro area. Amsterdam is most famous for its canals that criss cross across the city, but it also has a rich history, interesting culture, and liberal vibe that appeal to all types of travelers. The architecture, bridges, and cycling culture help this metropolitan area maintain its small town vibe, despite being the largest city in the country as well as the financial center.
Which city is cheaper, Amsterdam or Shanghai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Shanghai is $103, while the average daily cost in Amsterdam is $157. 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 Shanghai and Amsterdam in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $146 for a double occupancy room in Shanghai.
A hotel room in Amsterdam is about $182 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
The average traveler spends about $19 per day in Shanghai 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.
In Amsterdam travelers spend around $39 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Shanghai $19
Amsterdam $39
Typical Food prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of dining costs in Shanghai are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shanghai
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Shanghai.
-
Online Chinese Cooking Class:
$22
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Chengdu Private Food Tour (With Visit to Kuanzhai Alley and Hotpot Experience):
$32
-
Old Shanghai Breakfast Food Tour:
$52
-
Cooking Class of Dumplings and Chinese Buns:
$56
-
3-Hour Shanghai Summer Night Local Dinner and Shopping Private Tour:
$65
-
Private Chinese Cooking Class in Shanghai with Vegetarian Option:
$69
-
Private Authentic Chinese Cooking Class in Shanghai with a Lovely Local:
$70
-
3-Hour Shanghai City Walking Tour with Dinner:
$74
-
Shanghai yummy food tour:
$75
-
Chinese Cooking Class in a Family Home:
$75
-
Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum and Sanxingdui Museum Private Day Tour with Hotpot Dinner:
$76
-
Dim Sum Cooking Class and Wet Market Visit in Shanghai:
$78
Typical Food prices in Amsterdam
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Amsterdam:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Amsterdam
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Amsterdam.
-
Live online cooking class from Classic European 2-course meal:
$23
-
Three course lunch/dinner voucher:
$42
-
Withlocals the 10 Tastings: Amsterdam's Favourite Private Food Tour with a Local:
$50
-
Private Pizza Canal Cruise Amsterdam:
$62
-
Dinner with an Amsterdam artist on the river:
$62
-
Amsterdam Nightlife Ticket & VIP Dinner at Hard Rock Café:
$63
-
Amsterdam Small Group Food Tour:
$69
-
Food Tour in the Albert Cuyp Market Amsterdam:
$73
-
Delicious Dutch Dinner in an Amsterdam Canalhouse:
$75
-
The Pizzaboat Amsterdam Min. 8 pax:
$75
-
Small-Group Guided Sunset Canoe Tour in Waterland with Dinner:
$76
-
Joy of Life - Bistro Dinner on an Amsterdam Canal:
$84
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Shanghai is $3.48 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
The average price of local transportation around Amsterdam is $19 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Shanghai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Shanghai:
-
Taxi Ride
$4.03
-
Two Subway Tickets
$0.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shanghai
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shanghai:
-
1 Day-Pass for Disneyland Shanghai and Transfer service Mini Group package:
$146
-
1-way Private Transfer From Shanghai Pudong Airport to Hangzhou:
$123
-
1-way Private Transfer From Shanghai Pudong Airport to Suzhou New District-SND:
$117
-
1-way Transfer Between Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and Kunshan Per Vehicle Price:
$74
-
1-way Transfer Between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Jiaxing:
$153
-
1-way Transfer Between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Kunshan Per Vehicle Price:
$95
-
1-way Transfer Between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Yiwu Per Vehicle Price:
$388
-
1-way Transfer Between Shanghai and Nanxun Water Town Per Vehicle Price:
$164
-
1-way Transfer Between Shanghai and Wuzhen Water Town Per Vehicle Price:
$159
-
1-way Transfer Between Shanghai and Zhouzhuang Water Town Per Vehicle Price:
$93
-
1-way Transfer between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Changshu Per Vehicle Price:
$135
-
1way Transfer from Shanghai Pudong Airport to Suzhou Downtown:
$48
Typical Local Transportation prices in Amsterdam
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Amsterdam:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Amsterdam
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Amsterdam:
-
Ultra - Amsterdam Private Transfer from Cruise Port to Amsterdam City Centre:
$9.55
-
Private Transfer from Cruise Port to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol:
$9.55
-
Ultra - Amsterdam Private Transfer from City Centre to Amsterdam Cruise Port:
$9.55
-
Private Departure Transfer from Amsterdam City Center to Airport Schiphol (AMS):
$32
-
Private Airport Transfer from Amsterdam to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS):
$32
-
Private Transfer from PTA Cruise Terminal to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS):
$32
-
Transfer in Private Vehicle from Amsterdam City to Airport:
$34
-
Premium Private Transfer from Amsterdam Hotels to Airport:
$35
-
Private Amsterdam Airport departure Transfer:
$38
-
Private Departure Transfer from Amsterdam City to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport:
$39
-
Private Transfer from Amsterdam City Center to Zaanse Schans:
$40
-
Amsterdam local transfers:
$42
Is it cheaper to fly into Shanghai or Amsterdam?
Prices for flights to both Amsterdam and Shanghai 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
Shanghai's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $7.58 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Amsterdam's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $35 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Typical Entertainment prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Shanghai are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Shanghai
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shanghai are as follows:
-
Hupao Park Ticket in Hangzhou (For Mainland China ID Holders):
$2.35
-
China Red Sandalwood Museum Ticket in Beijing :
$2.79
-
Simatai Great Wall Admission with Cable Car Ticket in Beijing:
$3.09
-
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base Ticket Chengdu - ID Card Direct Entry:
$4.19
-
half day tour of shanghai:
$5.34
-
Evergreen Resort Ticket in Shenzhen:
$6.19
-
Jinxi Ancient Town Attractions Combo Ticket:
$6.99
-
Gulangyu Seashell Museum Ticket:
$7.45
-
Ferry Round Trip Ticket between Xiamen City and Gulangyu Sanqiutian Pier:
$8.55
-
Wuyishan Xiamei Ancient Village Admission Ticket:
$8.55
-
Ferry Round Trip Ticket between Xiamen City and Gulangyu Neicuoao Pier:
$8.55
-
Shanghai Joy City Rooftop Ferris Wheel - Sky Ring Ticket:
$9.29
Typical Entertainment prices in Amsterdam
Here are a few typical costs in Amsterdam for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Amsterdam
Here are a few actual costs in Amsterdam for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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A tasty stroll through Pijp: An audio tour of some of Amsterdam great food spots:
$5.00
-
An Amsterdam introduction: Explore the origins of Amsterdam on an audio tour:
$5.00
-
Amsterdam Red Light District Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.41
-
Amsterdam West Specialty Coffee Spots Cycling Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.41
-
Vondelpark and Old West Neighbourhood Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.48
-
Amsterdam Private Tour: Red Light District Exploration Game:
$5.65
-
The Red Light District self-guided Virtual Experience: The Highlights:
$7.45
-
Absolutely Tip-Based Walking Tour With Super Local Guide (2,5 Hours):
$8.09
-
Amsterdam Red Light District: A Walking Audio Tour on your Phone (1hour):
$9.94
-
Silent Disco Club Experience:
$9.95
-
Small-Group Cheese Tasting Experience in Amsterdam:
$12
-
Self-Guided City Experience:
$12
Alcohol
The average person spends about $6.61 on alcoholic beverages in Shanghai per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Amsterdam may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $22 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Shanghai
Also in Shanghai, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Shanghai Luxury Bar Crawl in 5-star Hotel or Boutique Hotel:
$255
-
3 Hour Local Craft Beer Crawl with Brewery Tour:
$350
Sample the Local Flavors in Amsterdam
Also in Amsterdam, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Distillery Tour & Tasting:
$22
-
Amsterdam Bar Crawl:
$27
-
Amsterdam Shared Bar Crawl:
$31
-
Private Amsterdam Red Light District and pub tour:
$61
-
4 hour Amsterdam Brewery Tour:
$81
-
High Class Culinary Lunch in Amsterdam - Self-Guided Food & Wine Tour:
$102
-
Drew's 3-Hour Amsterdam Brewery and Bar Tour to Top Rated Bars:
$106
-
Discover 3 gastronomic restaurants in Amsterdam - self-guided food & wine tour:
$129
-
Experience 4 Culinary Restaurants in Amsterdam Self-Guided Food & Wine Tour:
$152
-
Amsterdam Bachelor Party Bar Crawl:
$488
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Shanghai and Amsterdam, we can see that Amsterdam is more expensive. And not only is Shanghai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Shanghai is in Asia and Amsterdam 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 Shanghai would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Shanghai 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 Amsterdam would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Amsterdam than you might in Shanghai.
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