Harbin at a glance
- Harbin ranks 16th of 20 priced cities in China on cost: $716 a month in essentials, 68% above Chongqing, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,369 covers that 1.9×.
- 108.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at county level.
- PM2.5 averages 24.3 µg/m³ a year, 5× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 20 China cities we track, so every row says whether Harbin is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $716 | $552 | 1.30× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $431 | $282 | 1.53× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $713 | $482 | 1.48× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $89 | $90 | $0 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $98 | $90 | $8 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $70 | $70 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $28 | $25 | $3 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,369 | $1,232 | $137 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $950 | $541 | 1.76× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,804 | $1,004 | 1.80× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Harbin, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.90 | $3.25 | $0.65 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $26.01 | $24.80 | $1.21 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $4.55 | $5.17 | $0.62 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.81 | $2.89 | $0.08 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.04 | $1.18 | $0.14 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.95 | $2.04 | $0.09 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.49 | $0.49 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.30 | $0.30 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.74 | $1.76 | $0.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.80 | $1.75 | $0.05 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.85 | $0.99 | $0.14 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.68 | $1.62 | $0.06 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $13.90 | $14.06 | $0.16 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $2.88 | $3.49 | $0.61 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.02 | $2.02 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.56 | $1.36 | $0.20 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.56 | $1.34 | $0.22 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.72 | $0.80 | $0.08 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.84 | $0.89 | $0.05 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.61 | $0.60 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.55 | $0.49 | $0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $27.79 | $25.05 | $2.74 |
| Taxi start | $2.09 | $1.55 | 1.34× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.41 | $0.39 | $0.02 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.18 | $1.24 | $0.06 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $59.71 | $56.62 | $3.09 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $10.62 | $10.91 | $0.29 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $8.46 | $8.53 | $0.07 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $65.55 | $47.95 | 1.37× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.81 | $7.02 | $0.79 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Harbin has 108.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (county level). That is the 11th-highest of 20 China cities we track. China's national figure is 112.8, so Harbin runs 4 below the country as a whole.
Every China region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Harbin ranks against every city we track
Harbin sits ahead of 92% of the 1016 cities we track on safety. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 91% of 991. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 12% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Harbin sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Harbin on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Harbin beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Harbin in the research deskOr unlock the China deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Erica Li, Unsplash License.
Data updated