What is a realistic daily budget excluding hotels and intercity transport?

At a glance

• The worked Shanghai budget is RMB 120 +18 +60 +30 =228 per person, excluding accommodation and intercity travel. Meals, admission and extras are adjustable allowances; they are not quoted prices for a named restaurant or attraction.
• Shanghai's 24-hour metro pass costs RMB 18 and its 72-hour pass RMB 45 under the published guide. Check the pass's network exclusions before using it for an airport or suburban rail journey. [1]
• The same metro guide gives an ordinary fare starting at RMB 3 for the first 6 km. A day pass is not automatically cheaper for just one or two short rides. [1]
• Shanghai's standard taxi example starts at RMB 14, or RMB 16 for the specified electric taxi, for the first 3 km before the relevant additional charges. Use an actual route estimate for longer rides. [2]
• For a standard international-card wallet payment, the published rule is no wallet service fee at RMB 200 or less and 3% of the transaction above RMB 200; eligible promotions can change the applicable fee. [3]

What to do next

1. Before adding a daily figure to the trip total, separate what is already paid from what you still need: hotels, intercity tickets, airport transfers, guided days, attraction tickets and ordinary meals. Do not count a prepaid item twice or hide a large transfer inside a small city-transport allowance.
2. Choose a starting allowance per person and day. For a straightforward Shanghai day, use the RMB 228 example, then replace each category with your preferences: breakfast included at the hotel, a special dinner, more taxis or a free museum can change the balance substantially.
3. Price the exceptional days individually. A private driver, a mountain trip with several transport tickets, a performance or a premium restaurant belongs on its own line rather than being averaged invisibly into every day.
4. Compare transport by the actual group. A taxi fare is usually a vehicle cost to divide among the people who fit; metro and attraction tickets are generally per person. A family needing two cars should budget both orders, while a solo traveller carries the whole vehicle cost.
5. Add a separate contingency that matches your flexibility and remaining prepaid commitments. Keep enough accessible money for an unplanned transfer or replacement meal without treating the entire contingency as normal daily spending.
6. After the first full day, compare actual spending with each allowance and adjust the remaining trip. Use the wallet's transaction amounts and the card statement to identify service fees or exchange-rate costs rather than judging the budget only by the cash left in your pocket.

If your situation is different

You mainly walk, use short metro rides and choose simple meals: lower the transport and meal allowances using your actual choices. Compare ordinary metro fares with a pass instead of buying the pass automatically.

You travel with older parents or small children: increase the transport and rest-stop allowance if door-to-door rides or extra breaks will make the day better. Preserve those useful comforts before adding another paid attraction.

You want premium dining, bars or private guiding: obtain current prices for those named bookings and add them explicitly. The RMB 200–300 starting range is not a suitable ceiling for every travel style.

You stay in a different city: rebuild the transport and ticket lines from that city's prices. The Shanghai fare examples illustrate the method and should not be treated as national tariffs.

Common mistakes

• Calling a planning range a measured national average: use it as a starting allowance and replace it with trip-specific prices.
• Multiplying one taxi fare by every traveller: distinguish vehicle and per-person costs.
• Forgetting tickets already paid: separate prepaid and remaining expenses.
• Putting a private tour into an ordinary sightseeing-day allowance: price exceptional days separately.

Quick questions