Budget and Cash

Cash

The Chinese currency is the renminbi (“people’s currency”, official name) or yuan. In January 2020, 1 yuan (元) was worth about € 0.13 (or about 7.75 yuan for € 1).

As in many countries, several counterfeit banknotes are in circulation. A little trick to distinguish them: run your finger over Mao’s collar. If it is rough, then it is true!

PS: Indicative table calculated based on 6.352 yuan for 1 USD.

Banks

The most present bank in the territory is the Bank of China, but there is also the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the China Construction Bank (CCB), and the Agriculture Bank of China (ABC). You can generally change euros or dollars in cash in agencies (as well as travelers’ checks at the Bank of China, for a 0.75% commission) and withdraw money there (at adjoining ATMs) with an international payment card (Visa and MasterCard type). However, the procedure can be a bit tedious to fill out the necessary forms for the operation.

In the big cities, many branches are open every day, including Sunday, from around 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (rather 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays for those that open on weekends). If your stay brings you to visit remote sites, it is advisable to provide some reserves of coins for your shopping.

Exchange

Currency exchange is possible in banks but the procedure is often quite long and tedious (you have to present your passport and fill out a lot of paperwork). There are hardly any other options for changing money as foreign exchange bureaus are rather rare in China and offer lower exchange rates than banks (especially airports). The banks, carry out a conversion on a rate rather close to the official rate.

To facilitate your trip, you can change your money for free at the same rate as that of the Bank of China through our agency.
http://www.boc.cn/sourcedb/whpj/enindex.html
(for the exchange rate, please consult the Cash Buying Rate or this website)

We can also convert your last yuan before you leave the country.

Payment cards and ATMs

No problem withdrawing yuan from ATMs with an international payment card (MasterCard, Visa, Cirrus, JCB, Diners Club, or American Express). However, make sure that the machine displays the logo corresponding to your card. One-touch gives you instructions translated into English.
It’s the easiest and fastest way to get cash, although there is a charge for every transaction. On the other hand, the exchange rate used is the official rate and is more advantageous than if you are changing cash.

Please note, withdrawals are limited to 2,500 or 3,000 RMB per transaction. But nothing prevents you from doing several in a row, up to your available maximum (of course, each time paying a commission …).

– Paying by payment card is becoming more and more frequent, especially in large cities and without commission. On the other hand, in the villages, do not count on it too much.

Budget in Yunnan trip

The cost of living in Yunnan remains lower than in your country even if it increases slowly but surely with the development of the country. It also depends on the price of the yuan, which tends to fluctuate.

The prices that we indicate can also increase during the periods of festivals and public holidays (in particular in the tourist places) … or decrease in the low season.

Tourist attractions

We will list the entrance fees of tourist attractions in the proposal so that you can include them in your budget.

Other Practical Information

Recommended Tours in Yunnan

Luoping, Canola Flower Ocean in Yunnan

3 days | Kunming, Luoping, and Puzhehei
Luoping is famous for its karst landscape and the spectacular Canola flower ocean.

Northern Yunnan Tour

15 days | Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La
Deeply explore northern Yunnan and enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Himalayan range dotted with extraordinary encounters with minorities living on the borders of Tibet.

Wonders of Yunnan

16 days | Best seller
A travel plan for travelers who want to explore the most attractive landscapes of Yunnan in one trip.