Which place is cheaper, Harbin or Suzhou?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Suzhou or Harbin?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Suzhou and Harbin can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Suzhou or Harbin?
Suzhou
Suzhou is a city in Jiangsu province famed for its beautiful gardens and traditional waterside architecture, featuring elaborate canals and bridges. Located on the Yangtze Delta, the city consists largely of waterways making Suzhou a kind of 'Venice of the Orient.' It is also a hub for scholars, artists, and skilled craftsmen.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Shanghai, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySuzhou $102Harbin $54
The average daily cost (per person) in Suzhou is $102, while the average daily cost in Harbin is $54. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Suzhou and Harbin in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSuzhou $38Harbin $21
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSuzhou $76Harbin $42
Compare Hotels in Suzhou and Harbin
Looking for a hotel in Suzhou or Harbin? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Suzhou $57Harbin $1.50
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Suzhou
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Suzhou:
- Suzhou to Beijing Bullet Train Ticket with Local Private Transfer : $178
- Suzhou Private Transfer to Zhouzhuang Water Town with Shanghai Drop-off Option: $84
- Suzhou Private Transfer to Tongli Water Town with Shanghai Drop-off Option: $84
- Suzhou Private Departure Transfer: City Hotel to Railway Station: $25
- Suzhou Private Arrival Transfer:Railway Station to City Hotel: $27
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport Private Departure Transfer from Suzhou: $87
- Shanghai Pudong Airport to Suzhou Chauffeur Service, Shanghai Airport Transfer: $240
- Shanghai Pudong Airport - Suzhou Chauffeur Service,Shanghai Airport Transfer: $280
- Shanghai Private Transfer from Suzhou with Stop-over at Tongli Water Town : $90
- Shanghai Hongqiao Airport - Suzhou Chauffeur Service,Shanghai Airport Transfer: $240
- Private Suzhou Garden and Water Town Highlight Trip with Hotel or Railway Station Transfer: $240
- Private Round-Trip Transfer between Zhouzhuang Water Town and Suzhou City: $58
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Harbin
Also for Harbin, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Any Harbin Railway Station : $25
- Harbin Airport Chauffeur Service, Harbin Airport Transfer: $27
- Private Arrival Transfer:Any Harbin Railway Station to City Hotel: $29
- Harbin Airport (HRB) : Private Arrival Transfer with Meet & Greet Service: $32
- Harbin Airport Chauffeur Service, Harbin Airport Transfer: $40
- Private Departure Transfer to Harbin Railway Station from Harbin City Hotel: $50
- Private Arrival Transfer from Harbin Railway Station to Harbin City Hotel: $55
- Harbin Taiping Airport Chauffeur Service, Harbin Airport Transfer, Pick up.: $59
- Private Departure Transfer to Harbin West Railway Station from Harbin City Hotel: $60
- Private Arrival Transfer from Harbin West Railway Station to Harbin City Hotel: $65
- Private HRB Airport Departure Transfer from Harbin City Hotel: $70
- Private HRB Airport Arrival Transfer to Harbin City Hotel: $70
Is it cheaper to fly into Suzhou or Harbin?
Prices for flights to both Harbin and Suzhou 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one daySuzhou $32Harbin $14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Suzhou
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Suzhou.
- Suzhou Alleyway Walking Food Tour With Locals: $55
- Zhouzhuang Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Lunch or Dinner Option: $154
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Harbin
For Harbin, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 4-Hour Private Night Tour to Harbin Ice and Snow World with Dinner Options: $261
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Suzhou $9.34Harbin $53
Tours and Activities in Suzhou
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Suzhou are as follows:
- Private Shanghai City Tour from Suzhou by Bullet Train with Drop off Option: $232
- 4-Hour Flexible Suzhou City Highlights Private Tour: $114
- 4-Hour Suzhou Private Customized Tour: $71
- 4-Hour Suzhou Private Flexible Tour with Garden and Boat Ride Option: $125
- 4-Hour Tongli Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Boat Ride : $127
- 4-Hour Zhouzhuang Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Boat Ride: $145
- All Inclusive Suzhou Highlight Tour with Boat Ride and Lunch: $179
- Classic Suzhou Tour with Hotel or Railway Station Pickup: $213
- Essential Suzhou City Sightseeing Private Day Tour: $248
- Flexible Shanghai Private Day Tour from Suzhou by Bullet Train: $208
- Flexible Suzhou City Highlights Private Day Tour with Authentic Lunch: $153
- Full Day Luzhi Water Town Day Tour From Suzhou: $178
Tours and Activities in Harbin
For Harbin, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Half Day Tour for Harbin Guandong Ancient Lane and Wood Sculpture Museum: $104
- Private Harbin Ice Lantern Show at Zhaolin Park Night Tour with Zhongyang Pedestrian Street: $104
- 1-Day Harbin Private Tour: $130
- 4-Hour Private Tour of the Largest Indoor Ice and Snow Paradise: $136
- Private Half Day City Tour including Russian Town and Harbin Ropeway Ride: $150
- Private Harbin City Day Tour of Russian Historical Sites and Culture: $157
- Harbin City Guided Tour to Zhongyang Street and Sophia Church: $180
- Revolving Restaurant Dining Experience at Harbin Dragon Tower: $180
- Small Group Night Tour to Harbin Ice and Snow World: $198
- Small Group Tour to Harbin Siberian Park Tiger: $200
- Harbin City Private Day Tour in Your Way in Winter Season: $200
- Private Harbin Ice Festival Night Tour: $209
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySuzhou $6.41Harbin $7.85
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Suzhou and Harbin, we can see that Suzhou 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 Suzhou would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Suzhou than you might in Harbin.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Suzhou Expensive? and Is Harbin Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Suzhou or Harbin?
Harbin has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Suzhou. When comparing the sizes of Suzhou and Harbin, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Suzhou or Harbin?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Suzhou or Harbin in the Summer?
Both Harbin and Suzhou during the summer are popular places to visit.
In the summer, Suzhou is a little warmer than Harbin. Typically, the summer temperatures in Suzhou in July average around 28°C (83°F), and Harbin averages at about 24°C (75°F).
Harbin gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Suzhou. Suzhou usually gets less rain in July than Harbin. Suzhou gets 128 mm (5 in) of rain, while Harbin receives 153 mm (6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulySuzhou 28°C (83°F)Harbin 24°C (75°F)
Should I visit Suzhou or Harbin in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Suzhou and Harbin.
In October, Suzhou is generally much warmer than Harbin. Daily temperatures in Suzhou average around 19°C (65°F), and Harbin fluctuates around 7°C (44°F).
In October, Suzhou usually receives more rain than Harbin. Suzhou gets 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Harbin receives 23 mm (0.9 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberSuzhou 19°C (65°F)Harbin 7°C (44°F)
Should I visit Suzhou or Harbin in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Suzhou as well as Harbin.
It's quite cold in Harbin in the winter. The weather in Suzhou can be very cold. Suzhou is much warmer than Harbin in the winter. The daily temperature in Suzhou averages around 4°C (39°F) in January, and Harbin fluctuates around -18°C (-0°F).
Suzhou usually gets more rain in January than Harbin. Suzhou gets 39 mm (1.5 in) of rain, while Harbin receives 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuarySuzhou 4°C (39°F)Harbin -18°C (-0°F)
Should I visit Suzhou or Harbin in the Spring?
Both Harbin and Suzhou are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.
In the spring, Suzhou is much warmer than Harbin. Typically, the spring temperatures in Suzhou in April average around 15°C (58°F), and Harbin averages at about 8°C (46°F).
It's quite rainy in Suzhou. In April, Suzhou usually receives more rain than Harbin. Suzhou gets 102 mm (4 in) of rain, while Harbin receives 21 mm (0.8 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilSuzhou 15°C (58°F)Harbin 8°C (46°F)
Typical Weather for Harbin and Suzhou
| Suzhou | Harbin | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 4°C (39°F) | 39 mm (1.5 in) | -18°C (-0°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Feb | 5°C (41°F) | 59 mm (2.3 in) | -14°C (7°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) |
| Mar | 9°C (48°F) | 82 mm (3.2 in) | -3°C (26°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Apr | 15°C (58°F) | 102 mm (4 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| May | 20°C (67°F) | 113 mm (4.5 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 37 mm (1.5 in) |
| Jun | 24°C (75°F) | 152 mm (6 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (83°F) | 128 mm (5 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 153 mm (6 in) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 133 mm (5.2 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 116 mm (4.6 in) |
| Sep | 24°C (75°F) | 156 mm (6.1 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) |
| Oct | 19°C (65°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 7°C (44°F) | 23 mm (0.9 in) |
| Nov | 13°C (55°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | -4°C (24°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) |
| Dec | 7°C (44°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | -14°C (7°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.