All countries / City vs city / Tokyo vs Beijing
Tokyo vs Beijing
The short answer
Beijing is the cheaper trip, by roughly 42% a day — $50–95 against $90–150 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Apr–May, Oct, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 🇨🇳 Beijing | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $90–150 | $50–95cheaper |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $4–8 | $2–5cheaper |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $100–200 | $55–110cheaper |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $1.20–2.20 | $0.40–0.85cheaper |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $2,200 | ≈ $1,400 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
Tokyo
JFMAMJJASOND
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Beijing
JFMAMJJASOND
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇯🇵 Tokyo
The world's biggest city, and somehow its most orderly. Cheaper than you expect, cleaner than you imagined, and impossible to see in one trip.
- Golden Gai$$Nightlife
- Tsukiji Outer Market$$Restaurants
- Kabukiza Theatre$$Theater & shows
- Bar High Five$$$Nightlife
- Ichiran (Shibuya)$Restaurants
🇨🇳 Beijing
Imperial China's capital for six centuries: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall a day trip away, and hutong alleys tucked behind glass towers.
- Great Leap Brewing Original #6$$Nightlife
- Da Dong Roast Duck$$Restaurants
- Chaoyang Theatre$$Theater & shows
- 1949 The Hidden City$$$Nightlife
- Bianyifang Roast Duck$$Restaurants
Practicalities
| Tokyo | Beijing | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Japanese. English signage is good in stations; spoken English is limited — translation apps work fine. | Mandarin Chinese. English is limited outside hotels and major sights — a translation app is essential, not optional. |
| Currency | Japanese yen (¥). US$1 ≈ ¥150 | Renminbi / yuan (¥ or RMB). US$1 ≈ ¥7.2 |
| Time zone | JST (UTC+9), no daylight saving | CST (UTC+8), one zone nationwide, no daylight saving |
| Power | Type A/B plugs, 100V (US plugs fit) | Type A/C/I plugs, 220V |
| Tap water | Safe to drink everywhere | Don't drink it — bottled or boiled water everywhere |
| Emergency | 110 police · 119 fire/ambulance | 110 police · 120 ambulance · 119 fire |
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