Which place is cheaper, Chengdu or Shenzhen?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Shenzhen or Chengdu?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Shenzhen and Chengdu can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Shenzhen or Chengdu?
Shenzhen
Located in the Guangdong Province of southeastern China, Shenzhen is a metropolis that connects Hong Kong to China's mainland. It is one of China's most populous cities, inhabited by vast array of people from other Chinese regions. It is perhaps best known for it shopping, collection of amusement parks, green parks, museums and galleries, and a few historic sites. It is on UNESCO's Creative Cities list.
Chengdu
Chengdu is in China's Sichuan Provence and is in what is known as the Red Basin. It is a particularly fertile region in China that is known for its agriculture. For this reason it is sometimes referred to as the "Land of Milk and Honey". The Funan River cuts through the city but has almost no boat traffic anymore. The city itself has a wonderful relaxed vibe compared to the rest of China and is filled with green parks and places to relax. It is considered one of the most livable cities in China.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in China, The Best Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, and The Best Budget Tours to China.
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Shenzhen Prices
China PricesChengdu Prices
China Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayShenzhen $148Chengdu $71
The average daily cost (per person) in Shenzhen is $148, while the average daily cost in Chengdu is $71. 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 Shenzhen and Chengdu in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personShenzhen $96Chengdu $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomShenzhen $192Chengdu $44
Compare Hotels in Shenzhen and Chengdu
Looking for a hotel in Shenzhen or Chengdu? 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Shenzhen Hotel Prices and Chengdu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Shenzhen $16Chengdu $6.39
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shenzhen
Also for Shenzhen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- A One-Way Disneyland Pick-Up Transfer to Hong Kong Hotel: $33
- A Premium Airport Transfer Service Hong Kong with Mercedes Benz: $39
- Guangzhou One Day Tour with Bullet Train Transfer from Hong Kong: $188
- HK Airport to Cruise Terminal Rounded-Trip Private Transfer by Lexus Luxury Car: $139
- HK: Lantau Priority Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car with Hotel Transfer: $54
- Hong Kong Airport (HKG) Transfer to Shenzhen by Toyota Alphard: $220
- Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Hong Kong - Arrival Private Transfer: $52
- Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Hong Kong -Round-Trip Private Transfer: $90
- Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Hong Kong hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $104
- Hong Kong Airport (HKG) to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal - Arrival Private Transfer: $69
- Hong Kong Airport Private Transfer To HongKong and Disneyland: $38
- Hong Kong Airport Transfer Private Chauffeur Services: $115
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:
- Round-Trip Private Transfer between Emei Shan and Chengdu City: $113
- Private Transfer from Chengdu to Mount Emei and Stops at Leshan Giant Buddha: $110
- Private Transfer from Chengdu hotel to Chengdu Train Station: $27
- Private Transfer from Chengdu Hotel to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport: $52
- Private Transfer from Chengdu City Hotels to Airport: $35
- Private Transfer Chengdu (TFU & CTU) Airport Pickup Service: $29
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu International Airport (CTU): $23
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu Airport (CTU or TFU): $34
- Private Day Tour of Giant Pandas and Kuanzhai Alley with Transfer: $168
- Private Arrival Transfer:Any Chengdu Railway Station to City Hotel: $28
- Private Arrival Transfer: Chengdu Airport (CTU or TFU) to Hotel: $34
- Private Airport Transfer – Chengdu Tianfu or shuangliu airport: $60
Is it cheaper to fly into Shenzhen or Chengdu?
Prices for flights to both Chengdu and Shenzhen 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 dayShenzhen $37Chengdu $40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shenzhen
For Shenzhen, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Shenzhen Food Tour with Locals: $47
- Hong Kong: 7-Course Hong Kong Street & Restaurant Food Tour: $59
- Best Street Food Tour With a Local Guide in Hong Kong: $97
- Hong Kong's Tin Hau Hidden Gems Food Tour with 7+ Local Tastings: $107
- Small-Group Hong Kong Island Food Tour: $115
- Hong Kong Market Walking Tour & Chinese Cooking Class: $131
- Hong Kong Sightseeing Tour With Dinner Cruise From Shenzhen: $136
- Hong Kong Best Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $148
- Private Authentic Hong Kong's Food Tour with 7+ Local Tastings: $159
- Kowloon Street Food Tour Private & Personalized with a Local: $173
- Hong Kong Private & Personalized Street Food Tour with a Local: $173
- Hong Kong Elite Night Tour: Cruise, Aquarium Dinner, Peak: $193
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.
- Chengdu Vegetarian Cooking Class at a Local Home: $39
- Chengdu Night: VIP Seat Opera Show or Back Alley Food Tour: $40
- Private Chengdu TukTuk Food Tour: Hidden Alleys & Local Eats: $59
- Chengdu Food Tour Local Delicacies and Ear Cleaning: $59
- Eat Like a Local! Food Tour in the Hidden Alleys: $67
- Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu Local Eats: $68
- Discovery more Chengdu evening food tour with locals: $69
- Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit: $69
- Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $73
- Evening Food Tour with Local Guide: $78
- Chengdu Evening Food Tour: $79
- Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Shenzhen $18Chengdu $17
Tours and Activities in Shenzhen
For Shenzhen, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Introduction to Hong Kong: Central Tip Based Walking Tour: $2.61
- Between Capitalism & Communism: Hong Kong History Tip Based Tour: $2.61
- Secret Hong Kong: Hidden Local Spots Self Guided Adventure: $3.53
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Hong Kong: $4.72
- Hong Kong Ghost Tour (Self-Guided Audio Tour): $5.00
- Skip the Line! Walk to the Peak: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.00
- Podcast Tour Hong Kong Neon Shadows and Granite Steps: $5.66
- Hong Kong Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
- Victoria Peak: Climb to the summit via the Mid-Levels escalato on an audio tour: $6.99
- Yau Ma Tei: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in the Heart of Kowloon: $6.99
- Markets in Motion: Audio Tour of Mong Kok: $6.99
- Audio Tour of Hong Kong: Hollywood Road Loop: $6.99
Tours and Activities in Chengdu
Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Panda Breeding Center Plus Chengdu City Tour: $175
- 1 Day Tea Trip in Mount Mengding with Tea Making Experience: $150
- 1 Day Wolong Panda Nature Reserve Tour: $204
- 1 day Chengdu City Highlights Mini Group tour: $102
- 1-Day Chengdu Ancient History and Culture City Tour: $179
- 1-Day Chengdu Cultural Discovery:Jinsha,Shu Brocade Museum & Dufu Cottage Tour: $189
- 1-Day Chengdu Panda Research Base and Sanxingdui Archeological Museum Tour: $256
- 1-Day Chengdu Private Tour: Dujiangyan Ancient River Irrigation and Temple Site: $213
- 1-Day Dujiangyan Self-Guided Tour: Panda Volunteer and Water Irrigation System: $123
- 1-Day Leshan Giant Buddha and Huanglongxi old town Private Tour from Chengdu: $236
- 1-Day Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan Irrigation System Private Tour from Chengdu: $272
- 1-Day Panda Base and Mount Qingcheng Private tour from Chengdu: $262
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayShenzhen $21Chengdu $4.23
Sample the Local Flavors in Chengdu
Also in Chengdu, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Chengdu Pub Crawl: $14
- Tipsy Travel: Chengdu Evening Food and Bar Crawl with Local Guide: $138
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Shenzhen and Chengdu, we can see that Shenzhen is more expensive. And not only is Chengdu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Chengdu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chengdu 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 Shenzhen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shenzhen than you might in Chengdu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Shenzhen Expensive? and Is Chengdu Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Shenzhen or Chengdu?
Chengdu has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Shenzhen. When comparing the sizes of Shenzhen and Chengdu, 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.