Real 2026 prices across every category — from a ¥120-per-night hostel to a central 5-star suite at ¥3,000, a ¥60 ticket into the Forbidden City to a full day at Universal Beijing. Three worked daily budgets, a full 4-day cost example, and eight tips that actually cut spend.
Beijing surprises most first-timers in one direction: the headline sights are cheap. A bowl of zhajiang noodles at a local canteen costs ¥20–30 (~฿100–150). Entry to the Forbidden City — a UNESCO World Heritage palace you could spend a whole day inside — is ¥60 (~฿300). The Temple of Heaven is ¥34, the Great Wall at Mutianyu ¥40–45. For a capital this monumental, the cost of actually getting in is remarkably gentle.
Where the budget really moves is on two things: your hotel, and how you do the Great Wall and Universal Beijing. Hostel dorms start at ¥80–150 (~฿400–750) per night, while a central 5-star room can reach ¥3,000 (~฿15,000) or more. A Great Wall day can be ¥160 done independently or ¥400 on a private tour. Get those two decisions right and Beijing is excellent value compared to Tokyo, Singapore or Hong Kong.
All prices on this page are compiled from typical current market rates in 2026 and are intended as planning ranges, not guarantees. Prices climb sharply during Golden Week (1–7 October) and Chinese New Year. A few tickets — Universal Beijing in particular — are priced by date, so check before you go. The exchange rate used throughout is ¥1 ≈ ฿5.
Excludes international flights · Includes accommodation, food, transport and entry tickets
| Type | Per night | In baht | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel (dorm bed) | ¥80–150 | ~฿400–750 | Shared dorm; many are converted hutong courtyards |
| Budget hotel (3-star) | ¥300–500 | ~฿1,500–2,500 | Private room, e.g. Hanting / Home Inn |
| Mid-range hotel (4-star) | ¥500–900 | ~฿2,500–4,500 | e.g. Atour / Crystal Orange / JI Hotel |
| Upper-tier (4–5 star) | ¥900–1,500 | ~฿4,500–7,500 | e.g. Hilton Wangfujing / Hotel Éclat |
| Luxury (5-star) | ¥1,500–3,000+ | ~฿7,500–15,000+ | Peninsula / Waldorf Astoria / Mandarin Oriental |
See the hotels we have shortlisted: 10 best hotels in Beijing · best budget hotels in Beijing
| Level | Per day/person | In baht | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street food / local canteen | ¥50–100 | ~฿250–500 | Jianbing (egg crepe) ¥8–12 / zhajiang noodles ¥20–30 / baozi + congee |
| Casual restaurant | ¥120–280 | ~฿600–1,400 | Hot pot / Chinese restaurant / everyday Peking duck ¥80–150 |
| Famous Peking duck (per meal) | ¥200–400/person | ~฿1,000–2,000 | Quanjude / Da Dong / Siji Minfu — the meal you came for |
| Fine dining (per meal) | ¥500–1,500+/meal | ~฿2,500–7,500+ | Michelin restaurants / hotel sky-view dining / TRB Hutong |
What to eat: Beijing food guide — the dishes to try
| Mode | Price | In baht | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subway (per ride) | ¥3–10 | ~฿15–50 | Distance-based · reaches almost every major sight |
| Taxi (in city) | ¥13 flagfall + ~¥2.3/km | ~฿65 to start | Heavy traffic at peak hours — allow extra time |
| DiDi (China's Uber) | ¥20–60/typical ride | ~฿100–300 | Easier than hailing a taxi; needs Alipay / WeChat Pay |
| Airport Express (PEK ↔ city) | ¥25 | ~฿125 | Connects to lines 2/10 · ~20–30 min to Dongzhimen |
| Daxing Airport Express (PKX) | ¥35 | ~฿175 | ~20 min to Caoqiao, then line 19/10 |
| Great Wall (Mutianyu) — independent | ~¥150–250 for the day | ~฿750–1,250 | Bus 916 + local transfer — the cheapest way |
| Great Wall — hotel-pickup tour | ¥200–400/person | ~฿1,000–2,000 | Most comfortable; car + guide · book via Klook |
| Attraction | Price | In baht | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiananmen Square | Free | — | Book a free entry slot online in advance + bring your passport |
| Forbidden City | ¥60 (winter ¥40) | ~฿300 (~฿200) | Closed Mondays · online booking only, sells out fast |
| Temple of Heaven | ¥34 (through ticket) | ~฿170 | Park ¥15 + halls combo · opens ~06:00 |
| Summer Palace | ¥60 (through ticket) | ~฿300 | Park ¥30 + key sites combo · vast — allow half a day |
| Lama Temple | ¥25 | ~฿125 | Open ~09:00–16:30 · next to Yonghegong subway station |
| Great Wall at Mutianyu (entry) | ¥40–45 | ~฿200–225 | Plus ¥15 park shuttle · quieter than Badaling |
| Mutianyu · cable car / toboggan | ¥100–140 | ~฿500–700 | Cable car up, toboggan down is the favourite · book via Klook |
| Drum & Bell Towers | ¥30–40 | ~฿150–200 | Lovely hutong-rooftop views, near Houhai |
| Universal Beijing (1 day) | ¥418–748+ | ~฿2,090–3,740+ | Priced by date/season — check before you go · book via Klook |
Plan the days: 3-day itinerary · 4-day itinerary · 5-day itinerary
Excludes flights · based on typical 2026 prices · includes one Great Wall day
| Item | Budget Backpacker |
Mid-range Mid-range |
Luxury Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (3 nights) | ¥360–540 hostel (~฿1,800–2,700) |
¥1,050–1,800 3–4 star (~฿5,250–9,000) |
¥4,500–9,000+ 5-star (~฿22,500–45,000) |
| Food (4 days) | ¥200–360 (~฿1,000–1,800) |
¥520–1,000 + famous duck (~฿2,600–5,000) |
¥2,000–5,000 (~฿10,000–25,000) |
| City transport | ¥40–80 subway (~฿200–400) |
¥80–160 (~฿400–800) |
¥400–800 taxi+DiDi (~฿2,000–4,000) |
| Great Wall day | ¥160–260 DIY + cable car (~฿800–1,300) |
¥250–450 shuttle tour (~฿1,250–2,250) |
¥800–1,500 private car + guide (~฿4,000–7,500) |
| Remaining tickets | ¥120–180 palaces + temples (~฿600–900) |
¥250–500 + city views (~฿1,250–2,500) |
¥700–2,000 + Universal (~฿3,500–10,000) |
| Coffee / souvenirs / extras | ¥120–200 (~฿600–1,000) |
¥200–400 (~฿1,000–2,000) |
¥800–2,500+ (~฿4,000–12,500) |
| 4-day total (approx.) | ¥1,000–1,620 ~฿5,000–8,100 |
¥2,350–4,310 ~฿11,750–21,550 |
¥9,200–20,800+ ~฿46,000–104,000+ |
¥1 ≈ ฿5 · approximate figures, subject to season · the luxury tier depends heavily on room and tour choices — adding a full day at Universal Beijing lifts the total noticeably.
Many shops and restaurants accept Alipay or WeChat Pay only — no cash, no cards. Link a Visa/Mastercard to Alipay (international mode) before you travel. See the Alipay setup guide.
Yuan cash works in some places — wet markets, small restaurants, older souvenir stalls. Keep a reserve of ¥200–500 (~฿1,000–2,500), but you do not need much: Alipay covers almost everywhere tourists go.
Accepted at 4–5 star hotels, better restaurants and large malls, but not at everyday shops. Do not rely on cards alone. ATMs are available at the airport and in malls if you need to top up on yuan.