Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Harbin

For one person, living costs are similar in Beijing (Pekin) and in Harbin: $1,185 and $1,166 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Harbin
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Harbin Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Harbin

🇨🇳 China

$1,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) and in Harbin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beijing (Pekin) and in Harbin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,166 in Harbin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Harbin $1,166

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,617 in Harbin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Harbin $1,617

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,069 in Harbin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Harbin $2,069

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 2% more than Harbin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Harbin are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Harbin 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$2.30 ¥15.36

96.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$22.57 ¥151

33.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$5.51 ¥36.87

-2.72%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$2.94 ¥19.69

21.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.47 ¥3.14

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.85 ¥5.68

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.67 ¥11.18

2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.99 ¥13.32

-12.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$2.01 ¥13.41

-11.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.97 ¥6.49

32.99%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.38 ¥9.26

41.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$9.24 ¥61.8

54.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$2.56 ¥17.13

29.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$11.84 ¥79.2

-6.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.62 ¥10.85

30.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.33 ¥8.90

30.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.22 ¥8.18

71.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$0.95 ¥6.37

62.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.54 ¥3.62

27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$1.52 ¥10.18

-40.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.47 ¥3.15

59.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.79 ¥5.28

-22.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$2.56 ¥17.14

66.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$17.89 ¥120

-22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.58 ¥3.91

75.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.55 ¥10.35

16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.31 ¥2.08

122.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$11.14 ¥74.5

212.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.33 ¥8.89

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.94

20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$3.65 ¥24.43

99.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.29 ¥8.65

3.10%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.4K ¥129.6K

1.26%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$15.6K ¥104.2K

15.72%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$59.1 ¥395

$75.3 ¥503

-21.54%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.77 ¥58.7

$14.46 ¥96.7

-39.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$12.39 ¥82.9

14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$84.0 ¥562

-51.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$29.73 ¥199

-16.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$5.97 ¥39.90

24.62%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$654 ¥4,375

$300 ¥2,004

118.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$10.4K ¥69.3K

131.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$30.31 ¥203

134.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$30.23 ¥202

32.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$72.2 ¥483

22.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$302 ¥2,020

-58.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$327 ¥2,186

188.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$467 ¥3,121

12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$1,337 ¥8,941

76.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$522 ¥3,492

114.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$3,220 ¥21.5K

280.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$1,357 ¥9,074

375.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$591 ¥3,949

190.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.92

-20.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Last update for Harbin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Harbin

$467 40.1% 10.8% $57

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Harbin

$209 17.9% 8.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Harbin

$196 16.8% 33.4% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Harbin

$81 6.9% 24.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Harbin

$102 8.8% 24.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Harbin

$96 8.2% 71.5% $40

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Harbin

$15 1.3% 63.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $327 in Harbin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 190% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $23.00 in Harbin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $209 – making Harbin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Harbin

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

10,009,854

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Harbin 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Beijing (Pekin) vs Harbin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,748 in Harbin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Harbin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $23.00 in Harbin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,166 in Harbin. That's a gap of about 2%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Harbin, where all-in costs run around $1,166, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Harbin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Harbin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Harbin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.