Real 2026 prices across every category — from a ¥90-per-night hostel by the ferry pier to a sea-view Conrad room from ¥800, ¥15–40 satay noodles and oyster omelettes to fresh seafood, free temples and beaches to the ¥35–50 Gulangyu ferry. Three worked daily budgets, a full 3-day cost example, the Gulangyu strategy, and eight ways to save.
Ask travellers heading to Xiamen whether it will be expensive, and the honest answer is reassuring. Xiamen is one of China's most liveable seaside cities, yet food and getting around stay cheap. What keeps a Xiamen budget light is that most of the best things to do are free or inexpensive — Nanputuo Temple is free, walking the campus of Xiamen University (often called the prettiest in China) is free, and Huandao Road along the coast, Zengcuo'an beach village and the old Zhongshan Road shopping street all cost nothing to wander.
The one thing that really pushes a Xiamen day budget up is Gulangyu island — the car-free UNESCO World Heritage islet offshore. On the day you cross over there is a ferry fare of about ¥35–50 (~฿175–250) return, plus entry to the island's gardens and viewpoints. A 5-site combo (Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden, Bright Moon Park, the Organ Museum and the Engraving Gallery) is around ¥100 (~฿500), while Hulishan Fortress on the main island is just ¥25 (~฿125). On days you stay on the mainland, your spend is noticeably lighter because nearly everything in the city is free.
The real variable is accommodation. A dorm bed starts at ¥90 (~฿450) a night — somewhere like the Koala International Youth Hostel by the Zhongshan Road ferry pier — while a 5-star room such as a sea-view Conrad near Wuyuan Bay, or a heritage boutique on Gulangyu like Lin's Mansion, runs ¥800–1,400 (~฿4,000–7,000) or more. All prices on this page are compiled from typical current market rates in 2026 and are intended as planning ranges, not guarantees. They shift with season — and especially with Chinese New Year, Golden Week and the summer holidays, when hotel and island guesthouse rates spike. The exchange rate used throughout is ¥1 ≈ ฿5.
Excludes flights · includes accommodation, food, transport, the ferry and entry tickets
| Type | Per night | In baht | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel (dorm) | ¥90–180 | ~฿450–900 | Dorm bed, e.g. Koala International Youth Hostel by the Zhongshan Road ferry pier |
| Budget hotel (2–3 star) | ¥180–350 | ~฿900–1,750 | Private room, e.g. Hanting / Jinjiang Inn / 7 Days in Siming district |
| Mid-range (3–4 star) | ¥350–550 | ~฿1,750–2,750 | e.g. Atour Wuyuan Bay (¥350) · Atour Zengcuo'an (¥400) · Marco Polo (¥400) |
| Upper-tier (4–5 star) | ¥430–600 | ~฿2,150–3,000 | e.g. Seaview Resort (¥430) · Pan Pacific (¥450) · ICC Hotel (¥500) · Hotel Indigo Harbour (¥550) |
| Luxury (5 star) / island boutique | ¥800–1,400+ | ~฿4,000–7,000+ | Conrad Xiamen (from ¥800) sea views · Lin's Mansion 林氏府 (¥1,400) heritage villa on Gulangyu |
See our curated picks: 10 best hotels in Xiamen · 6 luxury hotels in Xiamen
| Level | Per day/person | In baht | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street food / local Minnan eats | ¥50–100 | ~฿250–500 | Satay noodles ¥15–25 / oyster omelette ¥20–40 / satay wontons ¥18–30 / tapioca-pearl congee ¥12–22 |
| Casual restaurants / market stalls | ¥120–250 | ~฿600–1,250 | Sit-down meals / local seafood spots / Xiamen fried noodles ¥40–90/person |
| Casual fine dining | ¥250–500 | ~฿1,250–2,500 | Sea-view seafood restaurants / traditional Minnan kitchens / cafés on Gulangyu |
| Fine dining (per meal) | ¥500–1,500+/meal | ~฿2,500–7,500+ | Chinese restaurants in 5-star hotels such as Conrad / Pan Pacific / Seaview Resort |
See what to eat: Xiamen food guide · satay noodles · oyster omelette · Xiamen seafood
| Mode | Price | In baht | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro (per ride) | ¥2–7 | ~฿10–35 | Distance-based · Lines 1/2/3 · the elevated seafront stretch of Line 1 has gorgeous views · scan Alipay/WeChat at the gate |
| Gulangyu ferry (return) | ¥35–50 | ~฿175–250 | Tourists board at the Cruise Terminal (厦鼓码头) with passport + a timed-slot ticket · valid within 20 days |
| BRT (elevated bus rapid transit) / city buses | ¥1–8 | ~฿5–40 | The BRT 快速公交 runs on its own elevated viaduct — fast and cheap; ordinary buses start at ¥1–2 |
| Shared bike (Hellobike/Meituan) | ~¥1.5/30 min | ~฿7.5 | Riding the coastal Huandao Road is a highlight · scan a QR to unlock, charged by time |
| Taxi (in town) | ¥10 flagfall + ~¥2/km | ~฿50 to start | Xiamen island is compact — most cross-town hops are ¥20–50 · use DiDi at rush hour |
| DiDi (China's Uber) | ¥15–45/typical ride | ~฿75–225 | Easier than hailing a taxi, but needs WeChat Pay or Alipay |
| High-speed train → Quanzhou (Xiamen North → Quanzhou) | ~¥30–50 | ~฿150–250 | ~30 min · easy day trip to the World Heritage city of Quanzhou |
| Place | Price | In baht | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanputuo Temple | Free | — | Ancient hillside Buddhist temple, free entry (small incense fee possible) · climb the hill behind for city views |
| Xiamen University | Free | — | The seafront campus often called the prettiest in China · free, but you must register ahead and daily numbers are capped |
| Zhongshan Road | Free | — | Old arcade-lined pedestrian street, snacks and souvenirs, free to wander, lively at night |
| Zengcuo'an beach village | Free | — | Old fishing village by the sand, cafés, snacks, sunsets · free entry |
| Gulangyu ferry (return) | ¥35–50 | ~฿175–250 | Standard ¥35 · a/c cabin or Neicuoao pier ¥50 · passport + timed slot required · Klook |
| Sunlight Rock (日光岩), Gulangyu | ~¥60 | ~฿300 | The island's highest point, 360° views over the islet and the city |
| Shuzhuang Garden, Gulangyu | ~¥30 | ~฿150 | Seaside Chinese garden with the Piano Museum · Bright Moon Park ¥15 · Organ Museum ¥20 |
| Gulangyu 5-site combo | ~¥100 | ~฿500 | Combined ticket for 5 main sites (Sunlight Rock + Shuzhuang Garden + Bright Moon Park + Organ Museum + Engraving Gallery), cheaper than buying separately · Klook |
| Hulishan Fortress | ~¥25 | ~฿125 | Qing-dynasty coastal cannon fort · child/student ~¥12 · watch the cannon-firing demonstration |
| Huandao Road (coastal road) | Free | — | Long coastal cycling road around the island, a top photo spot · free; bike hire charged separately |
More info: Xiamen attractions · Gulangyu island · Hulishan Fortress · Nanputuo Temple
Excludes flights · based on typical 2026 rates (outside holidays)
| Item | Backpacker | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (2 nights) | ¥180–320 hostel (~฿900–1,600) |
¥700–1,100 3–4 star (~฿3,500–5,500) |
¥1,600–3,600+ 5-star / island boutique (~฿8,000–18,000) |
| Food (3 days) | ¥150–300 (~฿750–1,500) |
¥450–840 (~฿2,250–4,200) |
¥1,500–4,000 (~฿7,500–20,000) |
| Transport (metro/bus/bike) | ¥30–60 (~฿150–300) |
¥60–130 (~฿300–650) |
¥250–600 taxi+DiDi (~฿1,250–3,000) |
| Ferry + entry (3 days) | ¥135–250 ferry+Gulangyu combo+Hulishan (~฿675–1,250) |
¥200–400 Gulangyu+several sites (~฿1,000–2,000) |
¥350–700 VIP ferry+guide+several sites (~฿1,750–3,500) |
| Coffee / souvenirs / extras | ¥80–150 (~฿400–750) |
¥150–330 (~฿750–1,650) |
¥600–1,800+ (~฿3,000–9,000) |
| 3-day total (approx.) | ¥575–1,080 ~฿2,875–5,400 |
¥1,560–2,800 ~฿7,800–14,000 |
¥4,300–10,700+ ~฿21,500–53,500+ |
¥1 ≈ ฿5 · figures are approximate and shift with season · the comfort tier depends on your room — a sea-view Conrad suite or Lin's Mansion heritage villa on Gulangyu costs noticeably more · adding a day trip to Quanzhou or a Fujian Tulou (earthen-house) tour adds ~¥100–400 per person in train/tour costs · for 4 days, add roughly one more day of accommodation + food + transport per tier (backpacker +¥250–420 · mid-range +¥700–1,200 · comfort +¥2,000+).
Xiamen runs on QR codes like the rest of China — shops, restaurants, metro gates and the ferry are all easier with Alipay or WeChat Pay than cash. Link a foreign Visa or Mastercard to Alipay (International Mode) before you travel. See our Alipay setup guide.
Yuan cash is still accepted in many places, especially Bashi wet market, small eateries and shops on Gulangyu. Keep a reserve of ¥200–500 (~฿1,000–2,500) for stalls that aren't set up to scan, but most of the time Alipay is all you need.
Accepted at 4–5 star hotels, better restaurants and large malls, but not at ordinary shops — don't rely on a card alone. ATMs are at the airport and in malls, withdrawing ¥300–500 at a time.