Should you visit Chongqing or Harbin?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Chongqing and Harbin. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Chongqing
Chongqing, China is a large city in central China and one of only four cities in the country that are not part of a province. While Chongqing is famous for being an economically important city, brush away its industrial surface and you'll find a naturally beautiful city with plenty of hidden wonders. Although you'll find many expats in the city, English is rarely spoken, meaning knowing some basic Mandarin will come in handy.
Harbin
Harbin, China is the northernmost major city in the country, with a population of over 10 million. Harbin was founded in 1897 by Russia, which has resulted in a lot of Russian influence throughout the city and many Russian citizens. The city is most famous for their annual International Snow and Ice Festival, a two-month-long festival running from January through February of each year.
Which city is cheaper, Harbin or Chongqing?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Chongqing is $77, while the average daily cost in Harbin is $43. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Chongqing and Harbin in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $88 for a double occupancy room in Chongqing.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $38 in Harbin For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
In Chongqing travelers spend around $22 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
On average, meal and food prices in Harbin cost around $12 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $4.80.
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Food
Meals for one day
Chongqing $22
Harbin $12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chongqing
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chongqing.
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Chengdu Private Food Tour (With Visit to Kuanzhai Alley and Hotpot Experience):
$32
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Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum and Sanxingdui Museum Private Day Tour with Hotpot Dinner:
$76
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Dim Sum Cooking Class and Wet Market Visit in Shanghai:
$78
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Beijing Hutong Evening Food Tour by Tuk Tuk:
$80
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Chengdu Panda Base Private Day Tour and Sichuan Cooking Class:
$83
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Chongqing Liangjiang Night Cruise Including Authentic Hot Pot Dinner:
$86
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Beijing Food Culture & Cooking Class:
$137
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Chongqing City private night tour with Hot Pot dinner:
$148
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Chongqing Port Transfer Service with Half-Day Tour and Hot Pot Dinner:
$193
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From Port Transfer with Half Day Tour and Hot Pot Dinner:
$197
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250 USD Per Group Private Chongqing Night Tour with Hot-pot Dinner:
$213
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Harbin
For Harbin, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Chengdu Private Food Tour (With Visit to Kuanzhai Alley and Hotpot Experience):
$32
-
Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum and Sanxingdui Museum Private Day Tour with Hotpot Dinner:
$76
-
Dim Sum Cooking Class and Wet Market Visit in Shanghai:
$78
-
Beijing Hutong Evening Food Tour by Tuk Tuk:
$80
-
Chengdu Panda Base Private Day Tour and Sichuan Cooking Class:
$83
-
3-hour Private Food Tour in Harbin:
$100
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Beijing Food Culture & Cooking Class:
$137
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Half-Day Private Harbin Beer Museum and Food Tour Including Harbin Beer1900:
$150
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Harbin Dumpling Cooking Class:
$150
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Hot Spring Experience with Hot Pot Dinner in Harbin:
$160
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4-Hour Private Night Tour to Harbin Ice and Snow World with Dinner Options:
$250
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Private Full Day Tour to Harbin Beifang Forest Zoo and Optional Seafood Dinner:
$250
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $17 per day to get around in Chongqing.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Harbin than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $1.34 on transportation in Harbin on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chongqing
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chongqing:
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[Up to 20% Off] Private City Transfers for Mutianyu Great Wall in Beijing :
$23
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[Up to 15% Off for Round Trip Transfers] Private Beijing Capital Airport Transfers (PEK) for Beijing :
$37
-
Yangshuo and Li River Highlights Day Tour with Transfers:
$111
-
Three Gorges Cruises with Transfer in Chongqing and Yichang:
$466
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Shared Shenzhen Airport (SZX) Coach Transfers for Hong Kong (Trans-Island):
$12
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Shared Hong Kong International Airport Transfers (HKG) for Shenzhen:
$15
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Shared Coach Transfers between Shunde and Hong Kong:
$14
-
Shared Coach Transfers between Shenzhen Bay Port and Hong Kong (Trans-island):
$6.45
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Shared Coach Transfers between Panyu and Hong Kong by Eternal East Bus:
$11
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Shared Coach Transfers between Hong Kong and Huadu by Eternal East Bus:
$13
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Shared Coach Transfers between Foshan and Hong Kong by Eternal East Bus:
$13
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Shared Coach Transfers between Foshan and Hong Kong:
$14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Harbin
Also for Harbin, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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5-Hour Private Transfer to Harbin Ice and Snow World:
$99
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6-Hour Private Transfer to Sun Island Snow Sculptures and Siberia Tiger Park:
$110
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Airport Transfers (SHA/PVG) for Shanghai (Multiple Car Models):
$38
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Badaling Great Wall in Beijing Private Transfer:
$43
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Full-DayPrivateTransfer to Harbin Volga Manor&Harbin City from Yabuli Ski Resort:
$270
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Full-DayPrivateTransfer to Harbin Volga Manor&Yabuli Ski Resort from Harbin City:
$300
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Group Transfer to Harbin Ice and Snow World plus Sun Island Snow Sculpture Festival:
$88
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Harbin Airport Chauffeur Service, Harbin Airport Transfer:
$27
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Harbin Airport Chauffeur Service, Harbin Airport Transfer:
$40
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Harbin Catholic Church Car Transfer Service:
$200
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Harbin City Car Transfer Service with Driver:
$120
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Harbin Private Arrival Transfer: Airport to Hotel:
$89
Is it cheaper to fly into Chongqing or Harbin?
Prices for flights to both Harbin and Chongqing change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $12 per person, per day in Chongqing. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Sightseeing expenses in Harbin, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $47 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Chongqing
Here are a few actual costs in Chongqing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Lionsgate Entertainment World Ticket in Henqin Zhuhai :
$31
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1 Day Private Tour of Chongqing Highlights Including lunch and Optional Photo in Sichuan Opera Costume:
$114
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1 Day Private Tour of Most Beautiful Heishan Valley in Chongqing Including Lunch:
$166
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1 Day Private Tour of Wulong Stone Bridges and Canyon in Chongqing Including Lunch:
$195
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1-Day Chongqing City Private Tour with the Hot pot Lunch:
$150
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1-Day Chongqing Dazu Rock Carvings Private Tour With the Lunch:
$230
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1-Day Private Tour: Wulong Tiankeng Three Bridges and Fairy Mountain:
$366
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199 USD Per Group Private Chongqing City Hiking Tour:
$199
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2 Days Shanghai Private Tour:
$178
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2-Day Private Customized Harbin Tour from Chongqing by Air:
$958
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2-Day Private Lijiang Highlights Tour from Chongqing by Plane:
$798
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2-Day Private Tour from Chongqing with Hotel:Shaolin Temple and Longmen Grottoes:
$798
Tours and Activities in Harbin
For Harbin, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Hupao Park Ticket in Hangzhou (For Mainland China ID Holders):
$2.35
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China Red Sandalwood Museum Ticket in Beijing :
$2.79
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Simatai Great Wall Admission with Cable Car Ticket in Beijing:
$3.09
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Giant Panda Breeding Research Base Ticket Chengdu - ID Card Direct Entry:
$4.19
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Evergreen Resort Ticket in Shenzhen:
$6.19
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Jinxi Ancient Town Attractions Combo Ticket:
$6.99
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Gulangyu Seashell Museum Ticket:
$7.45
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Wuyishan Xiamei Ancient Village Admission Ticket:
$8.55
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Ferry Round Trip Ticket between Xiamen City and Gulangyu Neicuoao Pier:
$8.55
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Ferry Round Trip Ticket between Xiamen City and Gulangyu Sanqiutian Pier:
$8.55
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Shanghai Joy City Rooftop Ferris Wheel - Sky Ring Ticket:
$9.29
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Guangdong First Peak Ticket:
$9.29
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Chongqing may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $6.21 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Harbin spend on average $7.04 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chongqing and Harbin, we can see that Chongqing is more expensive. And not only is Harbin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Harbin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Harbin and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Chongqing would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chongqing than you might in Harbin.
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