Cost of Living in Harbin

Here's a basic list of costs to go off of if you're looking at how much it costs to live here in Harbin. I wouldn't claim these are the lowest prices you can find since I do a great deal of my shopping at the Carrefour down the street from my apartment for convenience's sake, but they'll still give you an idea of the cost of living here! I'll continue updating this post as time goes on.

There is another basic listing of living costs here, but I didn't find it to be entirely helpful when I was getting ready to move here (hence this list!). All the dollar prices listed here are in US dollars.


Living Costs in Harbin

Appliances
Bread maker (midrange) = ¥500.00 / $81.15
Coffee maker (drip / small) = ¥318.00 / $51.61
Electric kettle = ¥80.00 / $12.98
French press (small) = ¥50.00 / $8.04
Iron (midrange) = ¥40.00 / $6.49
Ironing board (small) = ¥110.00 / $17.85
Toaster oven (midrange) = ¥300.00 / $48.69

Beverages
Beer (local / 500ml) = ¥3.90 / $0.63
Fruit juice (local / 1L) = ¥12 / $1.95 (approximately)
Latte (Bomele 1931) = ¥24.00 / $3.90
Water (Nongfu Spring / 4L) = ¥7.50 / $1.22
Wine (Yellow Tail / 750ml) = ¥125 / $20.29

Cleaning Supplies
Dishwashing detergent (local / 500ml) = ¥3.50 / $0.57

Clothes
Winter scarf = ¥40 / $6.53 (approximately)

Food
Coconut milk (400ml) = ¥11.00 / $1.77
Egg (chicken) = ¥0.90 / $0.15 (approximately)
Extra virgin olive oil (imported / 1L) = ¥60.00 / $9.74 (approximately)
Ice cream (500g) = ¥34.50 / $5.60
Ketchup (Heinz / 300g) = ¥9.00 / $1.46
Nutella (350g) = ¥35.00 / $5.68
Oreos (130g) = ¥5.10 / $0.83
Pringles (regular-size) = ¥8.90 / $1.44
Rice (short-grain / 1kg) = ¥4.60 / $0.75
Sausage (local / 1 link) = ¥5.00 / $0.81 (approximately)
Snickers (regular-size) = ¥4.00 / $0.65
Soy sauce (local / 500ml) = ¥5.30 / $0.86
Sweet potatoes (1kg) = ¥3.80 / $0.62
Vegetable oil (5L) = ¥38.90 / $6.31
Vinegar (local / 420ml) = ¥4.00 / $0.65
Yogurt (flavored / 260g) = ¥5.90 / $0.96

Fruits
Grapefruit = ¥5.00 / $0.81 (approximately)
Papaya (whole) = ¥10.00 / $1.61
Peach (medium-large) = ¥3.00 / $0.49 (approximately)
Watermelon = ¥10.00 / $1.62 (approximately)

Furniture and Furnishings
Room divider (wicker / cheap) = ¥150 / $24.35
Stool = ¥49 / $8.00
Trash can (plastic / small) = ¥4.90 / $0.80

Personal Care
Bar soap (local) = ¥3.90 / $0.63
Bath towel = ¥109.00 / $17.69
Face mask (with filter insert) = ¥9.90 / $1.61
Facial tissues (local) = ¥2.00 / $0.33
Hand towel = ¥29.90 / $4.85
Shampoo (local / 380ml) = ¥26.50 / $4.30
Washcloth = ¥14.90 / $2.42

Services
Haircut (with wash) = ¥20 / $3.20

Transportation
Bus (no transfers) = ¥1.00 / $0.16
Metro (multiple stops) = ¥2.00 / $0.33
Taxi (1.8km / 1.12mi) = ¥9.00 / $1.46