Which place is cheaper, Pingyao or Surabaya?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Should I visit Surabaya or Pingyao? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Surabaya, also known as the "city of heroes," is the capital of East Java and the second largest city in Indonesia, following Jakarta. While it doesn't highlight as many typical tourist monuments as other cities, Surabaya serves as a takeoff point or a landing base for travelers visiting Mount Bromo and Bali.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Indonesia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Indonesia, The Best Historical Tours in China, and The Best 10-Day Tours in China.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Surabaya is $63, while the average daily cost in Pingyao is $54. 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 Surabaya and Pingyao in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Surabaya or Pingyao? 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.
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Surabaya:
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Pingyao:
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pingyao:
Prices for flights to both Pingyao and Surabaya 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.
Some typical examples of dining costs in Pingyao are as follows:
Here are a few actual costs in Surabaya for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pingyao are as follows:
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Pingyao are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Surabaya and Pingyao, we can see that Surabaya 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 Surabaya would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surabaya 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 Surabaya Expensive? and Is Pingyao Expensive?.
Surabaya has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of Pingyao. When comparing the sizes of Surabaya and Pingyao, 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.