Cost per day · China
Shanghai on $35, $110 or $320 a day
How much does Shanghai cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $35 a day, mid-range trips run around $110, and luxury starts near $320 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included.
That makes Shanghai the 35th cheapest of 82 cities for a mid-range trip — see all 82 ranked.
China's neon-lit financial capital — the colonial Bund facing the futuristic Pudong skyline across the Huangpu, plane-tree lanes of the old French Concession, and the F1 Chinese Grand Prix at the vast Shanghai International Circuit in Jiading each spring. A city of dumpling houses, rooftop bars and the world's busiest metro.
Budget Shanghai is astonishingly cheap on food and transit — soup dumplings for $2, a metro ride for under 50 cents, and hostels in the old town. Street eats and free riverside walks carry the days.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Plane-tree lanes, boutiques and cafés — the city's most walkable quarter
Central square with the free-entry Shanghai Museum of Chinese art
Colonial riverfront promenade facing the Pudong skyline — free, best at dusk
🏨 Where to Stay
Reliable budget chain hotel steps from the Bund waterfront
Check prices on Klook →Long-running backpacker hostel walkable to the Bund and old town
Check prices on Klook →Rooftop-terrace hostel near People's Square metro interchange
Check prices on Klook →Set up Alipay with a foreign card before arriving — cash is nearly obsolete. The metro to the F1 circuit (Line 11 to Anting) is trivially cheap. Nanjing Road and the Bund cost nothing to wander.
Mid-range unlocks stylish concession boutique hotels, Michelin-cheap dumpling institutions, and speakeasy cocktail bars. Shanghai delivers huge value at this tier.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Grandstand seat at the Shanghai International Circuit's epic Turn 1–3
Evening cruise framing the illuminated Bund and Pudong towers
Ride to the 118th floor of China's tallest building for the view
🏨 Where to Stay
Carbon-neutral boutique in the leafy former French Concession
Check prices on Klook →Ian Schrager design hotel off Nanjing Road with rooftop bars
Check prices on Klook →Mid-market chain hotel with straightforward rooms and breakfast included at most properties.
Check prices on Klook →Stay in the former French Concession for atmosphere and walkability. A river cruise at night frames the skyline best. Book Grand Prix grandstand seats early — the main straight is the longest in F1.
Luxury Shanghai is sky-high Pudong suites, three-Michelin-star tasting menus, and the Bund's grande-dame hotels. The skyline-bar scene is world-class.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Premium trackside suite with catering over the main straight
Private historian-led walk through the Bund's colonial landmarks
Curated evening across Bund and Pudong's highest cocktail terraces
🏨 Where to Stay
Heritage Bund address with the famous Long Bar restored
Check prices on Klook →The Bund's finest — art-deco grandeur facing the Pudong skyline
Check prices on Klook →Five-star international hotel with a full spa, notable restaurants and the service standard the brand implies.
Check prices on Klook →The Bund's Peninsula and Waldorf, or Pudong's Ritz and Four Seasons, all deliver. For the GP, hospitality suites overlook the snail-shaped Turns 1–3. Book Ultraviolet months ahead.
About Shanghai
Humid subtropical: hot muggy summers (Jun–Aug, 30–35°C), cool damp winters (Dec–Feb, 3–8°C), pleasant spring and autumn.
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One of the world's best metros — 20 lines, cheap, English signage; Maglev links Pudong airport at 300km/h. Didi ride-hailing works in-app. Very walkable in the concessions.
The colonial waterfront, the shopping street behind it, and the Ming dynasty garden in the old city.
Plane-tree streets, the shikumen lanes, the propaganda poster basement and the power station turned gallery.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in China — data plans start at $4 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
Travel Insurance for Shanghai
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Shanghai. Safety is rated Extremely safe with very low street crime; main hazards are traffic and taxi/scam touts near tourist sites. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: Many nationalities qualify for 144-hour visa-free transit or the 10-year tourist visa; check current China rules before travel.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Get travel insurance for Shanghai →FAQ: Shanghai Travel Questions
Is Shanghai safe to visit? ▾
Extremely safe with very low street crime; main hazards are traffic and taxi/scam touts near tourist sites.
When is the best time to visit Shanghai? ▾
March–May and September–November are mild; the Grand Prix runs in spring. Summers are hot and humid, winters grey and cold. Humid subtropical: hot muggy summers (Jun–Aug, 30–35°C), cool damp winters (Dec–Feb, 3–8°C), pleasant spring and autumn.
How much does a trip to Shanghai cost per day? ▾
- budget: $35–$75/day
- midrange: $110–$230/day
- luxury: $320–$850/day
Do I need a visa to visit China? ▾
Many nationalities qualify for 144-hour visa-free transit or the 10-year tourist visa; check current China rules before travel.
How do I get around Shanghai? ▾
One of the world's best metros — 20 lines, cheap, English signage; Maglev links Pudong airport at 300km/h. Didi ride-hailing works in-app. Very walkable in the concessions. Shanghai has a metro system. Taxi base fare ~$14. Day pass ~$3.
Is tipping expected in Shanghai? ▾
No tipping culture — not expected in restaurants or taxis. Mobile pay (Alipay/WeChat) is near-universal.
What currency is used in China? ▾
The local currency is CNY, and the official language is Mandarin Chinese.