Temperature
July has the warmest monthly average (23.4°C); January is coolest (-19.0°C). These averages include nights, so daytime highs can be considerably warmer.
China · Visit or make it home
Living in Harbin, China
Harbin is a city in China. Compare its dated local facts and monthly climate before choosing a time to visit or planning a move. Housing references and national earnings describe different populations; verify the costs of your own home and job before deciding.
Get to know Harbin
A sense of the place
Harbin or Hā'ěrbīn is the capital of Heilongjiang, China, and the largest city of the province—as well as the second largest urban population and the largest metropolitan population in Northeast China. Harbin has direct jurisdiction over nine metropolitan districts, two county-level cities, and seven counties. It is the eighth most populous Chinese city according to the 2020 census. The built-up area of Harbin has 5,841,929 inhabitants, while the total metropolitan population is up to 10,009,854, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Harbin serves as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural, and communications hub in Northeast China, as well as an important industrial base of the nation. Several different etymologies have been offered for the city's name. The city government says the name means "swan" in the Jurchen language, and other sources say that it comes from a Manchu word meaning "a place for drying fishing nets". The settlement grew from a small rural fishing village on the Songhua River to become one of the largest cities in Northeast China.
Weather through the year
When to visit Harbin
Rain and outdoor plans
July averages about 139 mm of rain, compared with 6 mm in January. For an outdoor-focused trip, compare the drier months before choosing dates.
Planning time outdoors
May, September combine monthly mean temperatures of 12–22°C with less than 100 mm of precipitation. These are useful dates to compare for a walking-focused visit; check daylight, opening times and the forecast for your actual trip.
January, February, March, November, December have monthly means below 5°C. For a stay then, compare accommodation heating and keep indoor options in your itinerary. These figures do not establish snow cover or ski conditions.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average °C | -19.0 | -14.5 | -4.0 | 6.4 | 14.7 | 20.8 | 23.4 | 21.6 | 15.2 | 5.3 | -6.0 | -16.7 |
| Rain, mm | 6 | 6 | 13 | 24 | 60 | 106 | 139 | 116 | 58 | 24 | 16 | 9 |
Source: NASA POWER climatology · Reference period: 2001-2020. Long-term averages for the surrounding grid area. Conditions vary within a city; monthly averages are neither a forecast nor a guarantee of dry days.
Places around Harbin
Build your shortlist for a day out. Distances are straight-line from the city centre; check routes and opening times before setting off.
Museum
Harbin Institute of Technology Museum
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityPark
Harbin Children's Park
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityAverage rent in Harbin
What is the average rent in Harbin?
A verified average rent for Harbin is not available in the evidence shown here. Do not substitute another city’s price or a national estimate. Compare current properties for the same home size and neighbourhood, then include utilities, deposits and daily transport when building a budget for a visit or move.
Average salary in Harbin
What is the average salary in Harbin?
A verified city average salary for Harbin is not available in the evidence shown here. National income per person and purchasing-power measures are not salaries and cannot predict take-home pay. Compare a current offer in your occupation with local taxes, housing and transport costs before deciding whether a move is affordable.
How should I compare Harbin with another city?
Compare the same dated measures for both cities, keeping local observations separate from national context. Start with rent, your expected income and the journeys you will make regularly. Then adjust the comparison weights to your priorities. Missing measurements do not prove an advantage; verify decisive costs and services with current local sources.
- Choose a comparison below and read its sources and dates.
- Set priorities for housing, work, transport and climate.
- Check current listings and your own income before making a decision.
Data sources, licences & reuse terms
Plan your stay
Budget and everyday decisions
A holiday budget
Compare accommodation for your actual dates in Harbin, then add the journey here, airport transfers, meals and the activities you want. A cheap room outside the centre can cost more overall if it adds daily transport.
Compare holiday preferences →A relocation budget
Use the planner below to compare housing, daily spending and the cost of your move.
Include the deposit, utilities, internet and commuting. Compare those costs with your own expected take-home income.
Compare with another city →Your relocation planning budget
Build a monthly budget for Harbin in euros. Totals are calculated from the amounts below, not live quotes. Enter a housing amount for your chosen home.
Monthly total:
First month including move:
Compare with another city →Compare the details
Harbin at a glance
Mean daily solar radiation
3.9 kWh/m²/day
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Annual precipitation
577 mm/year
Annual precipitation gives a broad climate comparison. Its distribution through the year matters more for a short visit.
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Mean wind speed at 10 metres
4.2 m/s
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →City population
10,009,854 people
Population helps compare the scale of a destination. Administrative boundaries differ, so it is not always the population of the whole metropolitan area.
Data period: 2026-09-20. Source: GeoNames geographical database — global city identity fallback · CC BY 4.0Compare with another city →Average annual temperature
4 °C
Long-term average including days and nights. Use the monthly breakdown to choose dates; this is not a weather forecast.
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Nearest listed airport (straight-line distance)
34.1 km
Straight-line distance to a listed airport, not transfer time or confirmation of scheduled flights. Check the airport serving your actual route before booking.
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: OurAirports — airport locations · Public domainCompare with another city →Seasonal temperature range
42.5 °C
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →China: the wider context
These are country-level figures, not measurements of Harbin. Use them to compare national conditions; neighbourhoods, salaries and individual services can differ substantially.
See 9 national indicators
Income level — GNI per capita, PPP (gross)
29,160 international dollars (PPP)
Purchasing-power-adjusted national income per person is not a salary or take-home pay.
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank — GNI per capita, PPP (NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Fixed broadband / internet quality
91.6 percent
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank / ITU — Individuals using the Internet, % (IT.NET.USER.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Healthcare / health outcome (life expectancy at birth)
78 years
Life expectancy describes population health outcomes; it does not measure the quality or availability of a particular hospital.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →English / language accessibility
40 ordinal_0_100
Data period: 2026-08-30. Limited confidence. Source: Wikidata — coordinates, population, timezone, ISO codes, official languages · CC0 1.0Compare with another city →Overall tax burden (taxes + social contributions, % of GDP)
7 percent_gdp
Taxes and social contributions as a share of the economy, not your personal income-tax rate.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Tax revenue % of GDP (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Intentional homicide rate
0.5 per 100,000 people
Homicide rates are a narrow safety indicator. They do not describe petty crime or the safety of an individual neighbourhood.
Data period: 2020. Source: World Bank / UNODC — Intentional homicides per 100k (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Comparative price level (household consumption)
63.9 (EU average = 100)
Data period: 2025. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Price level index, household consumption (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Air quality — annual mean PM2.5
32 µg/m³
Data period: 2023. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — PM2.5 mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Education system (national)
127.5 points (0–188)
Data period: 2025. Estimate. Source: World Bank HCI+ education pillar (2025) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Other places to compare in China
Changchun →
About 233 km from Harbin in a straight line. Compare seasonal weather and local facts.
Shenyang →
About 510 km from Harbin in a straight line. Compare seasonal weather and local facts.
Dalian →
About 866 km from Harbin in a straight line. Compare seasonal weather and local facts.
Yantai →
About 1,016 km from Harbin in a straight line. Compare seasonal weather and local facts.
Compare Harbin with other cities
Read the source dates, choose your priorities and keep unavailable values separate from costs you know.
All maintained comparisons →