Which place is cheaper, Shanghai or Taipei?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Taipei or Shanghai?
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 Taipei and Shanghai. 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: Taipei or Shanghai?
Taipei
Few cities in the world are full of more diverse opportunities than the cultural crosshairs city of Taipei. As the capital of Taiwan, this 300-year-old city is the financial, cultural and governmental center of Taiwan. Located in the northern part of the island between the Yangming Mountains and Central Mountains, this city of 2.6 million people is always ready to welcome more visitors.
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".
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in Taiwan, The Best Tours for Seniors to Taiwan, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTaipei $182Shanghai $115
The average daily cost (per person) in Taipei is $182, while the average daily cost in Shanghai is $115. 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 Taipei and Shanghai in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTaipei $145Shanghai $81
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTaipei $290Shanghai $162
Compare Hotels in Taipei and Shanghai
Looking for a hotel in Taipei or Shanghai? 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: Taipei Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Taipei $10Shanghai $3.87
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Taipei
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Taipei:
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Easycard$2.01
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Easycard$9.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Taipei
Also for Taipei, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Taoyuan Airport (TPE) Return Bus Transfer: $8.61
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Taipei APT-HTL (TSA): $28
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Taipei HTL-APT (TSA): $28
- Private Transfer from Taipei city to Keelung (Taipei) Cruise Port: $38
- Taiwan Taoyuan Airport (TPE) to Taoyuan/Taipei hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $38
- Private Transfer：Taoyuan International Airport to Hotel: $40
- Bicycle transfer (Taipei - Hualien) 4 persons: $40
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Taipei HTL- APT (TPE): $41
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Taipei APT- HTL (TPE): $41
- Private Transfer from Taoyuan airport Taiwan to Taipei: $52
- [Chinese driver charter sedan] 1 to 4 people ☆ Taoyuan Airport ⇔ Taipei City Hotel Airport Transfer [one way]: $53
- Taipei Arrival Private Transfer: Taoyuan International Airport to Hotel: $55
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Shanghai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Shanghai:
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Taxi Ride$3.59
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Two Subway Tickets$0.83
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shanghai
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shanghai:
- private transfer from Wusongkou CruisePort to Disneyland and back: $64
- [Airport Transfer] Shanghai Pudong Airport / Hongqiao Airport ⇔ Shanghai City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $27
- Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Self-Guide 10-Hour Private Transfer Tour: $138
- Zhujiajiao Water Town Self-Guided Tour with Private Transfer from Shanghai: $75
- Zhouzhuang and Tongli Water Town Private Transfer Service from Shanghai : $103
- Yiwu Railway Station Private Departure Transfer from City Area : $18
- Yiwu Railway Station Private Arrival Transfer to City Area: $18
- Yiwu City Private Transfer to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport : $74
- Xitang Water Town Self-Guided Tour from Shanghai with Private Transfer: $100
- Wuzhen and Xitang Water Town Private Transfer from Shanghai: $132
- Wusongkou Cruise Terminal to Hongqiao Airport Chauffeur Service, Port Transfer: $87
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Shanghai APT-HTL (PVG,SHA): $51
Is it cheaper to fly into Taipei or Shanghai?
Prices for flights to both Shanghai and Taipei 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 dayTaipei $16Shanghai $21
Typical Food Prices in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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EasyCard$15
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Lunch at The Can$6.81
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EasyCard$31
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Lunch$2.94
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Lunch$1.86
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Dinner$6.19
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Lunch$3.56
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Lunch$4.64
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Louisa coffee$2.94
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Taipei
For Taipei, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Historic Night Market Food Tour with Tastings: $45
- Ximending Vegan Food Tour Snack, Dessert & Main!: $46
- Local Favorites: Taiwan Night Market Food Tour in 2 hours: $49
- Taipei Food Tour: Yongkang Street for Foodies: $58
- Taipei Food Tour: $58
- Yansan Night Market Food Tour: $62
- Turnip cake, Pork thick soup, Tofu pudding. Taiwan Traditional Light Meals Experience-C (Taipei Cooking Class): $65
- Taipei Food Tour and Colorful Bubble Tea Making: $65
- Taipei Food Tour and Colorful Bubble Tea Making: $70
- Private Food Tour – 10 Tastings with Locals: $74
- Xiao Long Bao, Chicken vermicelli with mushroom and sesame oil, Tofu strips salad, Bubble milk tea. Taiwan Traditional Delicacies Experience-A (Taipei Cooking Class): $77
- Xiao Long Bao, Chicken vermicelli with mushroom and sesame oil, Tofu strips salad, Bubble milk tea. Taiwan Traditional Delicacies Experience-A (Taipei Cooking Class): $77
Typical Food Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of dining costs in Shanghai are as follows:
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Dumpling Breakfast$1.38
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Desserts in Jinmao Building Observatory$20
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Ajisen Lunch for Two$7.19
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Cantelope$1.66
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Dumplings and Soup$2.07
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Duck Dinner$4.15
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Pastries$2.90
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Barbeque Dinner$8.85
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shanghai
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Shanghai.
- Online Cooking Class General Tso's Chicken by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Sesame Chicken by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Fried Rice by Sunflower Li : $20
- Online Cooking Class Dim Sum by Sunflower Li: $20
- 3-Hour Biking and Local Food Tour: $69
- 2.5hrs Chinese Kitchen Cooking Class: Xiaolongbao Soup Dumplings: $70
- Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai: $79
- Late night food tour in Shanghai's French Concession: $85
- Shanghai Evening Food Tour/Shanghai tour gastronomico nocturno : $85
- Late Night Food Tour in the Shanghai's French Concession: $89
- Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour: $90
- Shanghai's Koreatown Food Tour: $91
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Taipei $17Shanghai $8.44
Tours and Activities in Taipei
For Taipei, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Taipei Old Town - Taiwan Introduction Walking Tour: $1.00
- Old Town Walking Tour: $1.00
- Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Walking Tour: $1.00
- Taipei's Origin & Longshan Temple - Taiwan Cultural Tour: $1.00
- Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence Ticket: $3.07
- Miramar Ferris Wheel Ticket: $6.15
- Scavenger Hunt and City Exploration Self-Guided Tour: $8.78
- Taipei Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.98
- Taipei Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Taipei Makong Cable Car: Ticket & Combos: $10
- National Palace Museum E-Ticket: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
Typical Entertainment Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Shanghai are as follows:
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30 Minute River Cruise for Two$28
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Zoo for Two$14
Tours and Activities in Shanghai
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shanghai are as follows:
- Private Shanghai Flexible City Highlight Tour with Night Cruise: $221
- Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights: $108
- Shanghai Layover Tour to Xinchang Water Town with City Highlights Option : $135
- Yuyuan Garden and Shanghai Museum Private Shanghai Day Tour: $175
- water village of shagnhai tour: $248
- 1 Day Shanghai Private Tour: $180
- 1 Days Shanghai Quality Group Tour: $110
- 1 day Shanghai City Mini Group tour: $92
- 1 day Shanghai to Hangzhou Mini Group Tour: $131
- 1 day Shanghai to Suzhou Garden Mini Group tour: $116
- 1-Day Private Shanghai City Tour to See Its Past, Present and Future: $229
- 1-Day Private Tour to Shanghai Museum,Yu Garden, the Bund and Nanjing Road: $190
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTaipei $18Shanghai $7.36
Sample the Local Flavors in Taipei
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Taipei:
- Taipei Nightlife: Taipei Pub Crawls (2 Different Routes): $30
Sample the Local Flavors in Shanghai
Also in Shanghai, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Shanghai Pub Crawl: unique bar-hopping tour 2024: $20
- Shanghai Luxury Bar Crawl in 5-star Hotel or Boutique Hotel: $255
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Taipei and Shanghai, we can see that Taipei is more expensive. And not only is Shanghai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Taipei would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Taipei than you might in Shanghai.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Taipei Expensive? and Is Shanghai Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Taipei or Shanghai?
Shanghai has a larger population, and is about 86% larger than the population of Taipei. When comparing the sizes of Taipei and Shanghai, 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.