Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harbin and Beijing (Pekin)

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

56

Cost of Living Index in Harbin
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Harbin Living Index
58

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

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Harbin

🇨🇳 China

$1,166

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ¥15.36

$4.53 ¥30.31

-49.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.57 ¥151

$30.16 ¥202

-25.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 ¥36.87

$5.36 ¥35.83

2.80%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.69

$3.57 ¥23.84

-17.65%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$0.51 ¥3.39

-7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$1.19 ¥7.94

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.18

$1.71 ¥11.43

-2.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ¥13.32

$1.74 ¥11.66

14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.41

$1.77 ¥11.82

13.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.49

$1.29 ¥8.61

-24.81%

Eggs

$1.38 ¥9.26

$1.95 ¥13.01

-29.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 ¥61.8

$14.29 ¥95.5

-35.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.56 ¥17.13

$3.31 ¥22.13

-22.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 ¥79.2

$11.11 ¥74.3

6.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.12 ¥14.18

-23.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.90

$1.73 ¥11.56

-23.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$2.09 ¥13.98

-41.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.37

$1.54 ¥10.30

-38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.62

$0.69 ¥4.64

-21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$0.91 ¥6.09

67.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.75 ¥5.04

-37.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$0.61 ¥4.06

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 ¥17.14

$4.27 ¥28.52

-40.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.89 ¥120

$13.90 ¥93.0

28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.91

$1.02 ¥6.80

-43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.81 ¥12.09

-14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.69 ¥4.65

-55.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.14 ¥74.5

$34.82 ¥233

-68.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.90 ¥12.73

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.35 ¥2.36

-17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ¥24.43

$7.28 ¥48.68

-49.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.65

$1.33 ¥8.87

-3.01%

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

$19.4K ¥129.6K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

-1.24%

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

$15.6K ¥104.2K

$18.0K ¥120.6K

-13.58%

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

$75.3 ¥503

$59.1 ¥395

27.45%

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

$14.46 ¥96.7

$8.77 ¥58.7

64.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.39 ¥82.9

$14.22 ¥95.1

-12.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.0 ¥562

$41.06 ¥275

104.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.73 ¥199

$24.89 ¥166

19.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 ¥39.90

$7.44 ¥49.74

-19.76%

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

$300 ¥2,004

$654 ¥4,375

-54.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K ¥69.3K

$24.0K ¥160.5K

-56.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.31 ¥203

$71.2 ¥476

-57.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.23 ¥202

$40.02 ¥268

-24.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥483

$88.2 ¥590

-18.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$302 ¥2,020

$127 ¥846

138.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥2,186

$945 ¥6,317

-65.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 ¥3,121

$523 ¥3,499

-10.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ¥8,941

$2,362 ¥15.8K

-43.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 ¥3,492

$1,122 ¥7,500

-53.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,220 ¥21.5K

$12.3K ¥82.0K

-73.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 ¥9,074

$6,446 ¥43.1K

-78.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ¥3,949

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-65.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

3.12

25.64%

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

Last update for Harbin: October 19, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harbin

$467 40.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2% 12.1% $57

Groceries & Markets

Harbin

$209 17.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3% 9.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Harbin

$196 16.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4% 25.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harbin

$102 8.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 19.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Harbin

$96 8.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7% 41.7% $40

Eating Out

Harbin

$81 6.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 33.1% $27

Getting Around

Harbin

$15 1.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 172% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $327 in Harbin versus $945 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 $23.00 in Harbin versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $229 – making Harbin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Harbin

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

Same time as Harbin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,009,854

21,893,095 Capital

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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Harbin vs Beijing (Pekin): 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 $1,748 per month in Harbin and $1,778 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 $23.00 in Harbin and $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,166 in Harbin and $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin). 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.