Low-cost cities perfect for budget travel in July and August

Title: July-August Budget Travelers' Carnival! Enjoy these 4 cities with just 500+ per person, with food, accommodation, and transportation tips to help you get every penny’s worth～ Melting in the July-August heat? These 4 low-cost cities will cover your cool vacation! Students and workers, just follow the guide blindly—eat, stay, and travel all in “money-saving mode.” Let’s check them out— 1. Harbin In July, Harbin is just over 20°C, and walking on the cobblestone Central Street is super soothing! Have a Madieer ice cream bar for breakfast (0.5 RMB), buy a Qiulin red sausage (15 RMB) with Russian rye bread for lunch, and stroll to the riverside night market in the evening, where you can get grilled cold noodles with double eggs for 10 RMB! Transportation relies entirely on subway and bus (starting at 2 RMB), hostel beds cost 30-50 RMB per night, and students should head straight to the Harbin International Youth Hostel. Want to splurge? Sun Island is free to visit, and Volga Manor tickets are only 80 RMB, which is 10 times cheaper than Snow Town! 2. Xining The confirmed summer capital of the plateau! The average temperature in July-August is 18°C. A day trip to Qinghai Lake by carpool costs 150 RMB per person (including transportation and tickets), half the price of traveling independently. Eat at Mojia Street: hand-pulled lamb sold by weight (40 RMB per jin), old yogurt for 5 RMB a bowl, and sweet fermented barley for 3 RMB to fill you up! Stay at a guesthouse near Dongguan Qingzhen Mosque (80-120 RMB per night), just a 5-minute walk to the night market. Bus fares start at 1 RMB, taxi starting fare is 8 RMB, budget travelers will be thrilled! 3. Guilin Famous for its stunning landscape, budget travel here is even more cost-effective! Rent an electric scooter (30 RMB/day) to circle the Li River, take a bamboo raft on the Yulong River in Yangshuo (95 RMB per raft, shared by 2 people), and students get half price! For breakfast, slurp a bowl of Guilin rice noodles (starting at 8 RMB), the broth at Chongshan Rice Noodles is amazing. Stay at a hostel on West Street (50-80 RMB per night), and at night enjoy skewers—10 RMB for 3, eat your fill for about 30 RMB per person! 4. Quanzhou An underrated “old flavor” small city! Kaiyuan Temple and Xunpu Village are free to visit, rent a flower hairpin scarf (50 RMB) and instantly transform into a “garden on your head.” Eat at Zhonglou: noodle soup (8 RMB) with vinegar pork (5 RMB), and try the curious local specialty, Tusu jelly (15 RMB)! Bus fares start at 1 RMB, guesthouses are concentrated near Xunpu Village (60-100 RMB per night), ride a small electric scooter (5 RMB/hour) to explore the alleys, fully immersed in local life vibes～ July and August aren’t just about high temperatures; these 4 cities show you that with low costs and high experiences, budget travel can be colorful too! Save this article and set off this summer whenever you want～✨