Should you visit Shanghai or Madrid?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Shanghai and Madrid. 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".
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
Which city is cheaper, Madrid 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 Madrid is $126. 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 Madrid 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.
Travelers usually pay around $140 for a double occupancy room in Madrid If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
The price of a meal in Madrid can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $32 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $13 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Shanghai $19
Madrid $32
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
-
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 Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
-
Coffee
$2.36
-
Ice Cream
$3.54
-
Kebabs (for 2)
$19
-
Croissant
$1.77
-
Lunch at Airport (for 2)
$19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Virtual Cooking Class: The Spanish Paella Experience:
$24
-
Florida Retiro Dinner Show:
$38
-
Murder Mystery Dinner Experience:
$49
-
Virtual cooking - spanish "tortilla de patatas":
$50
-
Skip the Line: Flamenco Show with Dinner and Workshop in Madrid Ticket:
$52
-
Private Food Tour in The 10 Tastings:
$53
-
Homemade pasta cooking class and lunch in the heart of Madrid:
$58
-
Mamaz Social Italian Dinner in Madrid:
$60
-
3-hour Virtual Spanish Cooking Class in Madrid:
$62
-
Opera and Zarzuela Show and Dinner:
$62
-
Authentic Italian Dinner in Madrid:
$68
-
Zarzuela Opera and Dinner at La Castafiore Restaurant in Madrid:
$68
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.
To get around in Madrid, the average visitor spends $18 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
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:
-
Private Day tour of Xi'an From Shanghai Including Transfer Service:
$1,100
-
Private Mutianyu Great Wall Tour From Shanghai's Hotel Including Transfer:
$1,100
-
Private Beijing One Day Tour From Shanghai 's Hotel Including Transfer Service:
$1,036
-
Private Day Tour Of Beijing From Shanghai's Hotel Including Flight And Transfer:
$1,000
-
Private Day Trip Of Xi'an From Your Shanghai's hotel Including Transfer Service:
$1,000
-
2-Day Huangshan Tour by Cable Car with Private Transfer and Lunch from Shanghai:
$653
-
3 Days Shanghai Suzhou Tour Package with Airport Transfer:
$555
-
1-way Transfer Between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Yiwu Per Vehicle Price:
$388
-
Shanghai Luxury Airport Transfer:
$332
-
Private City Transfers between Zhongshan and Hong Kong:
$313
-
Private City Transfers between Foshan and Hong Kong:
$296
-
Private City Transfers between Guangzhou and Hong Kong:
$283
Typical Local Transportation prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Ultra - Madrid Private Airport Transfer from Madrid airport MAD to city centre:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Madrid Private Airport Transfer from city centre to Madrid airport MAD:
$9.41
-
Luxury Las Rozas Shopping Village Transfers from Madrid:
$21
-
Hotel Madrid City Private Transfer To Madrid Barajas Airport:
$29
-
Private Airport Transfer: Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD) to Madrid:
$29
-
Private Airport Transfer: Madrid to Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD):
$29
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Madrid City to Madrid Barajas Airport:
$31
-
Transfer in Private Vehicle from Madrid Barajas Airport to City:
$31
-
Madrid Barajas Airport Private Transfer To Alcorcón, & cities close to Madrid:
$33
-
Madrid to Madrid Airport (MAD) - Departure Private Van Transfer:
$34
-
Madrid Airport (MAD) to Madrid - Arrival Private Van Transfer:
$34
-
Madrid Barajas Airport Private Transfer To Madrid City:
$34
Is it cheaper to fly into Shanghai or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid 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.
In Madrid, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $32 per person, per day.
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:
-
Lionsgate Entertainment World Ticket in Henqin Zhuhai :
$31
-
1 Day Bus Tour in Amazing Shanghai Highlights:
$113
-
1 Day Hangzhou Private Tour:
$312
-
1 Day Shanghai Airport Layover Private Tour for City Highlights:
$202
-
1 Day Shanghai Highlight Small Group Tour:
$124
-
1 Day of Shanghai Premiere Experience:
$730
-
1 day Nanjing tour from Shanghai by train:
$400
-
1 day Shanghai City Mini Group tour:
$92
-
1-Day Authentic Shanghai Tour by Walking & Metro:
$193
-
1-Day Private Shanghai City Tour to See Its Past, Present and Future:
$204
-
1-Day Private Shanghai to Wuzhen Tour to Admire the Classical Water Town:
$271
-
1-Day Private Tour to Hangzhou by car from Shanghai:
$305
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
-
Free Walking Tour:
$1.21
-
Madrid's Private Tour with your Family: Highlights & Hidden Gems:
$4.04
-
A local's Tuck into the city's history and some tapas on an audio tour:
$5.00
-
History Tour of The Town Too High To Die Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.13
-
Madrid from the Inquisition to Multiculturalism Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.43
-
Let's Tapear! The Madrid Tapas Route Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.43
-
Madrid Private Tour: Fun Old Town Exploration Game:
$7.45
-
Teatro Real: Ticket and 1-Hour Audio Tour:
$8.24
-
Skip the Line: Museo Lázaro Galdiano Admission Ticket:
$8.71
-
Madrid of the Austrias Walking Tour:
$9.69
-
Skip the Line: Ticket for the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid:
$9.95
-
Madrid 90 Minutes Kickstart Private Tour:
$9.95
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.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Madrid, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $19.
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
Typical Alcohol prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
-
Beer
$5.91
-
Drinks and Tapas (for 2)
$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
-
5-Hour Pub Crawl:
$13
-
Madrid Pub Crawl:
$14
-
Pub Crawl in Madrid:
$15
-
Pub Crawl Madrid by Madpartycrew:
$19
-
Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor:
$20
-
Private Pub Crawl Madrid:
$21
-
Wine Tasting Experience:
$32
-
Madrid Wine Tasting, Flamenco Class, and Pub Crawl:
$44
-
Madrid 6-Hour Tapas and Flamenco Bar Crawl:
$46
-
Madrid Tapas and Mysteries Walking Tour with Private Option and Pub Crawl:
$47
-
Wine Tasting and Flamenco Master Class in Madrid:
$58
-
Segovia and Spanish Versailles Full-Day Tour with Wine Tasting:
$62
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Shanghai and Madrid, we can see that Madrid 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 Madrid 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 Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Shanghai.
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