East Asia for travel money, five countries compared
Thinking about East Asia but not sure which country? Here is how Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China compare on the money side, so you can pick with eyes open. Our read as the True Trip Costs desk, checked Jul 2026.
The short answer
Japan is the smoothest, richest first trip.
Most cashless? South Korea. Best value? Taiwan. Skyline and dim sum? Hong Kong. Epic scale, with setup? China.
| Country | Daily cost | How you pay | Tipping | Taxis | Currency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan | Carry cash | None | Easy | Yen | |
 South Korea | Card-first | None | Easy | Won counts high | |
 Taiwan | Cash, cards in cities | None | Easy | NT$ dollar | |
 Hong Kong | Cards and Octopus | None | Easy | HK$ dollar | |
 China | Mobile pay | None | Some care | Yuan RMB |
Reading this. Daily cost is a rough 1 to 4 scale across these five (more dots, pricier day), the desk's own read rather than a precise figure. Taxi ease comes straight from each country's taxi guide: Easy is straightforward, Some care means a couple of things to watch. Tap any country for the detail behind its row.
The honest headline
Modern everywhere, but each runs its own money system
These five are among the most developed places you can travel, yet your US card will not glide through all of them. Each leans on its own system: Japan still wants cash alongside its IC transit cards, South Korea and Hong Kong are card and contactless, and China runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay, where foreign cards are patchy unless you link them first. The relief that runs across the whole region: tipping simply is not done, so one worry from home disappears. Plan for a different payment habit in each country, and set up a mobile wallet before China.
Which to pick
A verdict on each
Japan
The all-rounder
The complete first trip: seamless trains, extraordinary food, deep culture and famously low crime. It leans on cash more than you would expect for somewhere so modern, so carry some, though IC transit cards and contactless now cover a lot. No tipping, ever, it tends to confuse rather than please. Pick Japan for the smoothest, richest introduction to the region.
The Japan money guide →South Korea
The most cashless, and the food
The easiest of the five on money: near-total card and contactless acceptance, so you can travel on almost no cash. Add world-class food, fast trains and cities that run late. No tipping here either. The won runs to big numbers, so prices look larger than they are. Pick South Korea for modern ease and the eating.
The South Korea money guide →Taiwan
Value and night markets
The value pick, and a quiet favorite: friendly, safe, superb night markets and mountain scenery, at gentler prices than Japan. Cash still rules the markets and small shops, with cards in the cities and an EasyCard for transit. No tipping. Pick Taiwan for warmth and street food without the big-city price tag.
The Taiwan money guide →Hong Kong
Skyline and dim sum
A dense, thrilling stop: one of the world's great skylines, the dim sum, and transit you tap through with an Octopus card that also buys small things. Cards are widely taken, though some small spots still want cash, and a 10% service charge usually stands in for tipping. Pick Hong Kong for a short, high-energy city hit.
The Hong Kong money guide →China
Vast, and mobile-first
The vast one, and the one to prepare for. Foreign Visa and Mastercard are still patchy, so the fix is to set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and link your card before you go, then pay by phone the way locals do, with cash a distant backup. No tipping. The payoff is enormous: the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Shanghai. Pick China for scale and history, with the payment setup done in advance.
The China money guide →Quick picks
If you only remember five things
- Most cashless: South Korea, closely followed by Hong Kong.
- Still carry cash: Japan and Taiwan, more than their modern feel suggests.
- Prepare before you fly: China, set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and link a card.
- No tipping, anywhere: a genuine relief across all five.
- Priciest: Japan and Hong Kong; Taiwan is the best value.
From the desk
If it were my trip
If you are flying all the way from the US, I would make it one big trip rather than a single stop. Start in Tokyo, since flights from the US are often the best value, then lean on Asia's excellent budget airlines and high-speed rail. See Japan beyond Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima are all unforgettable, then fly to South Korea for Seoul's food, nightlife and history. Carry on to Taiwan for some of the friendliest people anywhere, its night markets and mountains, then Hong Kong for a few days of skyline and food before crossing into mainland China, where Beijing's Great Wall and Forbidden City and Shanghai's old-and-futuristic mix are the highlights. With time, add Macau, an easy ferry from Hong Kong, for its blend of Portuguese and Chinese culture. Routed this way it minimizes backtracking and still delivers history, modern cities, food and culture in one sweep.
A personal aside from the True Trip Costs desk. The verdicts above stay neutral; this is just one traveler's route.
More than one region in mind?
Compare another part of the world
Southern EuropeSunny coasts, light tipping, one shared currency.Compare 
Western EuropeThe gentlest first trip: easy, card-friendly, English-easy.Compare 
Central EuropeGreat trains, several currencies, a big value gap.Compare 
The NordicsThe priciest, the most cashless, unreal landscapes.Compare 
Southeast AsiaCheaper, cash first, and full of contrasts.Compare 
South AmericaGreat value, vibrant cities, a currency quirk each.Compare 
Middle EastGulf ease, Omani calm, Turkish value, or Egypt on a budget.Compare 
The GulfFive currencies pegged to the dollar, and one that is not.Compare 
AfricaPyramids, souks, card-friendly South Africa, or a self-drive.Compare How we rate this. The cost dots and the verdicts are the True Trip Costs desk's own comparative read for a US traveler, meant for choosing between these countries, not a precise index. We compare on things that move slowly, relative cost, how you pay, tipping norms and taxi ease, and leave the exact prices, fees and rules to each country's guide, which we date and check on its own. Checked Jul 2026. Confirm anything critical, especially entry rules and current fees, in the country guide before you rely on it.