Price the trip.
Keep the recovery.
Use your own quotes and spending choices to build one complete China-trip total. The calculator keeps hotel nights, traveler-days, group costs and contingency separate so a cheap headline does not hide an exposed route.
A useful China budget is not one daily average. Price rooms by night, food and local travel by traveler-day, major transport by the actual group booking, then add a visible contingency instead of pretending every refund, transfer and payment method will work perfectly.
Use the numbers you can actually book
China trip total
Enter RMB amounts unless the label says otherwise. Replace the exchange-rate field with the rate you want to use; card issuers and cash exchange can produce different results.
Nothing entered here is sent to China Travel OS. Reloading the page clears the calculation.
Quote first. Estimate second.
Use the exact room and terms
Price the actual property, dates, room count, taxes or service charges shown, breakfast, deposit route and foreign-passport eligibility. A city average cannot confirm any of those.
Use exact endpoints
Add each airport, railway station and hotel transfer. Include baggage, seat choice, airport access and the fare with the change terms you are willing to accept.
Separate fixed and flexible days
List timed attractions, day trips, guides and shows individually. Keep ordinary neighborhoods, parks and rest blocks as a different spending layer.
Expect more than one rate
Your card network, issuer, ATM operator, payment route and cash exchange can produce different fees or rates. Use a conservative display rate and keep an independent payment backup.
Count continuity, not only data
A home line kept active for verification, roaming, a travel eSIM and local service can create separate costs. Budget only the stack your phone and accounts require.
Make the buffer visible
Weather, a wrong terminal, a missed connection, delayed refund or replacement booking can consume money before the original amount returns.
Small omissions become an expensive transfer day
| COST | WHY IT APPEARS | HOW TO CONTROL IT |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong airport or station | The city name looked correct but the endpoint was not. | Record the exact code, terminal, station and hotel-to-door route before payment. |
| Baggage and seats | The lowest fare did not include the bags or seating the group needs. | Compare the complete booking total, not the first displayed fare. |
| Refund overlap | A refund is approved but not yet posted while a replacement must be paid now. | Keep a separate recovery reserve and preserve both records. |
| Private-car dependency | A late arrival, luggage, mobility need or distant attraction removes the cheapest public route. | Price the realistic transfer, including the return and waiting boundary. |
| Foreign transaction layers | Issuer, network, ATM or conversion choices add different charges. | Decline unclear conversion offers and check the issuer’s current terms. |
| Overpacked itinerary | Every extra base creates another checkout, transfer and recovery exposure. | Remove the weakest stop before cutting the buffer. |
A budget needs ownership and evidence
- 01OWNER
Keep the original seller and operator
Record who took payment and who actually delivers the room, train, flight, attraction or transfer.
- 02TERMS
Save the payable total and terms
Keep the currency, included items, cancellation deadline, refund route and support channel.
- 03BUFFER
Separate spending money from recovery money
A delayed refund should not block the next hotel, train or safe transfer.
- 04UPDATE
Recalculate after the fixed bookings
Replace estimates with confirmed totals and remove any category already included elsewhere.
Arithmetic, not a price promise
Reviewed 26 August 2026. The default fields are editable examples used to demonstrate the calculator. They are not current market averages, live exchange rates, quotes or recommendations. Actual prices depend on dates, provider, city, route, traveler, room, fare and payment method.
- State Council — payment service guide for overseas visitorsMobile payment, bank card and cash routes for international visitors.
- China Travel OS — train versus flight decision toolDoor-to-door cost and failure terms that belong in a transport comparison.
- China Travel OS — refund pending guideWhy an approved refund can still require temporary replacement funds.