Should you visit Hangzhou or Harbin?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Hangzhou 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.
Hangzhou
Hangzhou is a city in Eastern China, about an hour by train from Shanghai, renowned for its historic relics and natural beauty. Each year it attracts more than 20 million tourists who come to see what the city has to offer. Set amongst the natural scenery of lakes and mountains, Hangzhou is modern city that coexists with the old. Historic pagodas and cultural sites built around the central lake sit like they belong amidst the skyscrapers and bustling markets of today.
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 Hangzhou?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Hangzhou is $34, while the average daily cost in Harbin is $49. 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 Hangzhou and Harbin in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $30 for a double occupancy room in Hangzhou.
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
While meal prices in Hangzhou can vary, the average travelers spends about $5.43 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Hangzhou should cost around $2.17 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Hangzhou is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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
Hangzhou $5.43
Harbin $12
Typical Food prices in Hangzhou
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Hangzhou:
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Breakfast Pastries
$2.63
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Pizza Hut Lunch
$12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hangzhou
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hangzhou.
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Hangzhou Night Tour: Dinner and Romance of the Song Dynasty Show:
$52
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All Inclusive Night Tour with Impression West Lake Show VIP Ticket and Dinner:
$117
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Eat Like A Local - Hangzhou Night Food Tour:
$117
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VIP Seated Enduring Memories of Hangzhou Show Tour with Authentic Dinner:
$127
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Hangzhou Cooking Class and Local Market Tour:
$148
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Private Amazing Hangzhou Airport Layover Tour with Lunch or Dinner Option:
$161
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Half Day Westlake Highlights Tour with Optional Lunch or Dinner:
$163
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Wuzhen Ancient Water Town Private Night Tour from Hangzhou with Dinner Option:
$185
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Enduring Memories of Hangzhou West Lake Show VIP Ticket with Authentic Dinner:
$191
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Xitang Water Town Private Night Tour from Hangzhou with Dinner:
$191
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Hangzhou Night Tour With Food Street For Dinner and Beer Tasting:
$196
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Hangzhou Private Tour to Wuzhen Water Town with Lunch or 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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3-hour Private Food Tour in Harbin:
$100
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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
The average price of local transportation around Hangzhou is $0.39 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
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.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Hangzhou
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Hangzhou:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hangzhou
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hangzhou:
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Xitang Water Town Self-Guided Tour with Private Transfer from Hangzhou:
$92
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Wuzhen Water Town Self-Guided Tour with Private Transfer from Hangzhou:
$83
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Wuzhen & Xitang Water Town Self-Guided Tour with Private Transfer from Hangzhou:
$97
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Water Town and West Lake Sightseeing with Hangzhou Hotel or Railway Station Transfer:
$217
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VIP Seated Impression West Lake Show with Private Hassel-Free Transfer Service:
$85
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VIP Seated Enduring Memories of Hangzhou Show with Private Transfer:
$83
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Transfer from Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport to City Center:
$37
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Transfer from Hangzhou Downtown to Suzhou Downtown:
$84
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Transfer from Hangzhou (HGH) to Hangzhou:
$50
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Skip the Line: Impression West Lake Show VIP Seat Ticket with Pick-up Transfer:
$80
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Skip the Line: Impression West Lake Show Ticket with Pick-up Transfer:
$70
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Private airport transfer to or from Hangzhou International Airport max 5:
$38
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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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
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Harbin Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport:
$89
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Harbin Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Railway Station:
$56
Entertainment
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 Hangzhou
Here are a few actual costs in Hangzhou for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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1 Day Hangzhou Group Tour from Shanghai:
$238
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1-day Village Tea Picking, Roasting & Serving Guided Private Tour from Hangzhou:
$244
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2 Days 1 Night Classic Tour to Catch the Highlights in Hangzhou:
$418
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2 Days 1 Night Classic Tour to Wuzhen Ancient Water Town in Hangzhou:
$523
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2-Day Beijing Private Tour Include Great Wall from Hangzhou by Bullet Train:
$508
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2-Day Hangzhou Private Tour with Wuzhen Watertown Visit:
$503
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2-Day Hangzhou and Wuzhen Water town Private Tour with All Inclusive Option:
$289
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2-Day Huangshan Mountain Sunset Climb & Sunrise Camp Guided Tour from Hangzhou:
$162
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2-Day Huangshan and Hongcun Village Private Tour from Hangzhou by Bullet Train:
$499
-
2-Day Live-in Temple Buddhist Monk Mediation Experience from Hangzhou:
$252
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2-Day Mt Huangshan and Xidi Village Private Tour from Hangzhou by Bullet Train:
$499
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2-Day Private Customized Harbin Tour from Hangzhou by Air:
$928
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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Hagia Sophia TOURS /Skip The Lines:
$12
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2-Hour Harbin City Tour:
$50
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1-Day Harbin Private Tour:
$70
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Half-Day Private Harbin City Walking Tour to Zhongyang Street and Sophia Church:
$80
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Private Half Day City Tour including Russian Town and Harbin Ropeway Ride:
$90
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Private Customized Harbin City Day Tour by Public Transportation:
$96
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Private 2-hour Winter Local Culture Experience Tour with Ice Swimming Show, Songhua River Ropeway and Walking on Songhua River:
$100
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"Visit Museum of Heilongjiang" - a guide tour.:
$100
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Harbin Ethnic Museum Guided Tour.:
$100
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80-Minute Foot Massage Private Tour in Harbin City:
$100
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4-Hour Tour to Harbin Church,Gogol Street,Hongbo Square and Heilongjiang Museum:
$100
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Half Day Tour for Harbin Guandong Ancient Lane and Wood Sculpture Museum:
$100
Alcohol
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 Hangzhou and Harbin, we can see that Harbin is more expensive. And not only is Hangzhou much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Hangzhou would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Hangzhou 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 Harbin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Harbin than you might in Hangzhou.
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