Which place is cheaper, Sao Paulo or Xi'an?
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 Xi'an or Sao Paulo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Xi'an and Sao Paulo 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: Xi'an or Sao Paulo?
Xi'an
Xi'an is an ancient city in the Shaanxi Province in China. Today it is most notable as the location of the Terracotta Warriors, but for visitors who choose to linger, there is so much more to see and do in the area. The city itself is more than 3,000 years old and for about one thousand years, through 13 dynasties and 73 emperors, it was the capital. Because of its rich history there are many historical ruins and a strong culture in the city. Today the city is a pleasant place to visit, although much of it's influence and power has dwindled. The city has both cosmopolitan and modern areas as well as historic and culturally rich areas. The neighborhoods are diverse and by exploring the city in depth you can learn a little more about what China really has to offer.
Sao Paulo
With a population of around 11 million, and 20 million in the metropolitan area, Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It's also one of the wealthiest cities in the southern hemisphere, although you don't have to look far to see the income disparities and inequalities that exist. The city is diverse and culturally rich, with excellent food, music, and entertainment.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in China, The Best G Adventures Tours to Brazil, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Rio de Janeiro.
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Xi'an Prices
China PricesSao Paulo Prices
Brazil Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayXi'an $112Sao Paulo $61
The average daily cost (per person) in Xi'an is $112, while the average daily cost in Sao Paulo is $61. 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 Xi'an and Sao Paulo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personXi'an $65Sao Paulo $29
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomXi'an $130Sao Paulo $58
Compare Hotels in Xi'an and Sao Paulo
Looking for a hotel in Xi'an or Sao Paulo? 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: Xi'an Hotel Prices and Sao Paulo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Xi'an $13Sao Paulo $5.89
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Xi'an
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Xi'an:
- Xi'an: 5-Day Guided Tour with Meals and Transfers: $574
- Xi'an Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer for up to 40 pax: $300
- 2-Day Customized Private Tour With Transfer in Historical Xi'an: $269
- Xian Terracotta Warriors and City Wall Tour with Airport Transfer: $254
- From Xian: Terracotta Army and City Wall Tour with Airport Transfer: $245
- Xian Highlights Private Tour With Airport Transfer: $245
- Xi'an Layover: Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum With Airport Transfer: $229
- Full-Day Layover Private Tour: Essence of Xi'an With Airport Transfer: $229
- Xian Private Day Tour with Airport Transfer: Terracotta Warriors and City Wall: $225
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Tour with Airport Transfer: $216
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Museum Tour with Airport Transfer: $214
- Xian City Wall and Big Wild Goose Pagoda Tour With Airport Transfer: $206
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sao Paulo
Also for Sao Paulo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer: Sao Paulo to Airport GRU by Business Car: $144
- Airport Transfer: Sao Paulo to Airport GRU by Luxury Van: $168
- Airport and City Private Executive Transfer in São Paulo: $100
- Campinas Airport (VCP) to Praia/Santos hotels - Arrival Transfer: $203
- Campinas Airport (VCP) to Sao Paulo hotels - Arrival Transfer: $117
- Campinas Airport (VCP) to Sao Paulo hotels - Round-Trip Transfer: $233
- Campinas Viracopos Airport (VCP) to Sao Paulo - Private Transfer: $125
- Departure Transfer: Sao Paulo to Airport GRU by Business Car: $144
- Departure Transfer: Sao Paulo to Airport GRU by Luxury Van: $168
- Guarulhos Airport GRU to Águas de Lindoia Round Trip Transfer: $201
- Guarulhos Airport to Poços de Caldas Thermal Round-Trip Transfer: $272
- Private Airport Transfer from GRU with an English Speaking Driver: $86
Is it cheaper to fly into Xi'an or Sao Paulo?
Prices for flights to both Sao Paulo and Xi'an 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 dayXi'an $23Sao Paulo $25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Xi'an
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Xi'an.
- Xi’an：City Wall Multi-Entry or Night Food Tour with Show: $21
- Xi'An: Tang Dynasty Show Ticket w/ Transfer or Dinner: $33
- Top 3 Xian Sites to Terracotta Army & Dinner Show w/ Options: $35
- Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket Optional Dumplings or Royal Dinner: $37
- Tang Dynasty Royal Show Optinal Dinner With Round-trip Transfers: $38
- Skip The Line Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Or Dinner With Transfer: $39
- Xi'an: Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show with Dinner Option: $40
- Dinner and Show of Tang Dynasty Palace in Xian: $40
- Tang Dynasty Dinner Show with Private transfer: $55
- Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket with Optional Dinner: $57
- Xi’an: Market Tour and Cooking Class with Local Family: $59
- Xi'an Vegetarian Food Tour: $60
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sao Paulo
For Sao Paulo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Street Food Tour in São Paulo with a Local Guide: $71
- Paulista Plates São Paulo Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $89
- São Suppers Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $95
- São Paulo: Liberdade Food Tour with 6 Tastings and Tonkatsu: $112
- Dinner at Terraço Italia Restaurant in São Paulo: $230
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Xi'an $38Sao Paulo $3.98
Tours and Activities in Xi'an
Here are a few actual costs in Xi'an for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- #1 Bestselling Private Terracotta Army Tours + Customized Xian Tours: $108
- 1 Day Beijing to Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Tour by Air: $779
- 1 Day Private Tour to Terracotta Army & Huaqing Pool, No Shopping: $129
- 1 Day Xi an Technology and Smart Factory Tour: $296
- 1 Day Xian City Highlights Private Tour: $148
- 1 day Xi'an Culture and History Discovery Mini Group tour: $112
- 1-Day Private Tour: Mount Huashan With the Lunch from Xi'an: $190
- 1-Day Xi'an City Highlights and Hanyangling Museum Private Tour: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Terracotta Warriors,Wild Goose Pagoda and Banpo Village Museum Tour: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Tour with Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum and City Wall: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Tour with the Terracotta Warriors, Cave Dwelling and City Wall: $236
- 2 Days Xi'an City Tour: $292
Tours and Activities in Sao Paulo
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sao Paulo.
- São Paulo Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $5.12
- São Paulo Ibirapuera Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.12
- Downtown São Paulo's Epic History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Walking Tour Historic Center in São Paulo: $16
- Walking Tour of the Historic Center of Sao Paulo: $20
- Downtown-Center History Walking Tour: $28
- São Paulo Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $29
- Historical and Cultural Tour of the Center DE São Paulo: $34
- São Paulo Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
- São Paulo Highlights Walking Tour with a Guide: $40
- Personal aromatic experience in São Paulo: $41
- MASP Museum of Art of São Paulo (+ticket): $49
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayXi'an $7.82Sao Paulo $3.46
Sample the Local Flavors in Xi'an
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Xi'an:
- Xi'an Bar Crawl: Drink, Gaming, Snacks & Meet with Locals: $29
Sample the Local Flavors in Sao Paulo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sao Paulo:
- Pub Crawl in São Paulo: Open Bar + Free Appetizers at Bars: $31
- São Paulo Nightlife: Pub Crawl in the City that Never Sleeps!: $59
- 4 Hours Pub Crawl in Vila Madalena: $150
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Xi'an and Sao Paulo, we can see that Xi'an is more expensive. And not only is Sao Paulo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Xi'an is in Asia and Sao Paulo is in South America, 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 Sao Paulo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sao Paulo 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 Xi'an would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Xi'an than you might in Sao Paulo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Xi'an Expensive? and Is Sao Paulo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Xi'an or Sao Paulo?
Sao Paulo has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Xi'an. When comparing the sizes of Xi'an and Sao Paulo, 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.