- CostAverage≈7% over Asia
- SafetyMixed3.3/5
- MobilityDecent3.3/5
- CultureRich3.9/5
- ClimateVariable-10–37°
Top cities
- Shanghai30.7M residents
- Beijing18.2M residents
- Guangzhou43.0M residents
- Chengdu5.6M residents
- Tianjin7.3M residents
Source: GeoNames
Cost of living in China
About average for Asia — if you skip Shanghai.
China is pricier than 15 of 22 Asian countries — roughly 7% above the Asian median of $1,032/mo.
The city you choose shifts your budget — Shanghai ($1,530) runs 1.7× Shenyang ($900).
Good to know — low cost often trades against local salaries and visa options — budget for income, not just spending. Learn how we measure this →
Safety in China
The one thing to watch: road accidents.
China is safer than 16 of 22 Asian countries — comfortably above the Asian median (2.1/5).
Road accidents: highest in Shanghai, far calmer elsewhere — a local risk, not a national one.
Good to know — a calm national average can hide neighbourhood-level crime — research the specific district you would live in. Learn how we measure this →
Getting around China
Mobility in China runs middling overall across its cities.
China is easier to get around than 16 of 22 Asian countries — comfortably above the Asian median (2.2/5).
Across 5 cities, getting around stays within a narrow band — no single city is a real outlier.
Good to know — strong airport access can coexist with weak everyday transit — check the mode you would actually use. Learn how we measure this →
Culture in China
China has a strong cultural scene across its cities.
China is richer in culture than 16 of 22 Asian countries — a notch above the Asian median (3.5/5).
Across 5 cities, cultural life stays broadly present — no single city stands far apart.
4.2/5- Theatre
- Arts
- Museums
- Festivals
4.2/5- Nightlife
- Arts
- Theatre
- Festivals
3.9/5- Theatre
- Festivals
1987UNESCO ↗- Cultural
- Ancient civilization
1987UNESCO ↗- Cultural
- Architectural landmark
1987UNESCO ↗- Cultural
- Artistic masterpiece
1994UNESCO ↗- Cultural
- Living heritage
1990UNESCO ↗- Mixed
- Natural beauty
Good to know — a strong national culture score can be carried by one or two big cities — check the specific city, not only the country average. Learn how we measure this →
Airports in China
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is China's busiest gateway.
China is busier than 85 of 87 countries worldwide. It sees ~53 air passengers per 100 residents a year — a derived figure, not itself ranked.
39 major airports handle about 755M passengers a year. Tap any to see its nearest cities and how far they are.
+34 more airports on the map
Good to know — passenger volume is total throughput, not direct-route breadth; a large hub can still lack flights to your region. Learn how we measure this →
Passport strength in China
China's passport ranks #54 worldwide — 84 destinations visa-free.
This is the passport you’d gain by naturalizing here — a long-horizon payoff measured in years of residency, not a signal for the move itself.
- Mobility
- #5484 destinations
- GDP reach
- #10430.3% of world GDP
- Heritage
- #88420 of 1,353 UNESCO sites
Good to know — a mobility rank counts how many destinations you can enter, not how useful they are; a strong passport can still gate the one place you care about. Learn how we measure this →
Climate in China
Warm summers, gentle winters.
Where most people in China live, it's typically -10° to 37° feels-like across the year; sun is plentiful, up to ~275 days a year in Baotou.
Feels-like °C — where most people live, vs the city-to-city spread
Good to know— a country isn't one climate but a range; the extremes here are different cities, not the same place across seasons. Learn how we measure this →
Who thrives in China
China suits a wide range of lifestyles.
Fit is scored per lifestyle and anchored to the cities that serve each best — Big City Energy leads. Pick one to see exactly where it works.
Great fit
Decent fit
Good to know — fit is by city, not country; a lifestyle that thrives here may only do so in one or two of its cities. Learn how we measure this →