Where to live in China

We track 170 cities in China, including Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing. Average temperatures run from 5°C to 26°C. We estimate a couple needs €2,484 to €2,960 a month to live centrally. China sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency is hard to obtain.

See which cities in China rank best for you

12 questions, about 4 minutes, no account needed. Taking the quiz is free, and so is seeing your #1 city. Full results for both of you are a one-time US$12 (€12 in Europe).

Tax tier: Low to medium; Moderate personal income tax
Languages: Mandarin; Limited English
Safety: 75/100; country-level
Healthcare: 64/100; country-level
Internet: ~240 Mbps; median fixed broadband

The 170 cities we track

City	Size	Setting	Avg temp	Rain a year	Est. cost a month
Anshan	large	near the coast	10°C	659 mm	€2,730
Anyang	large	inland	15°C	499 mm	€2,707
Baoding	large	inland	14°C	451 mm	€2,793
Baoji	large	inland	14°C	629 mm	€2,729
Baotou	large	inland	8°C	280 mm	€2,769
Bayan Nur	large	inland	10°C	143 mm	€2,749
Bazhong	large	inland	17°C	985 mm	€2,792
Beijing	major	near the coast	13°C	466 mm	€2,960
Bengbu	large	inland	16°C	785 mm	€2,691
Benxi	large	near the coast	9°C	742 mm	€2,692
Bijie	large	inland	14°C	1,000 mm	€2,706
Bozhou	large	inland	16°C	739 mm	€2,727
Changchun	large	inland	7°C	574 mm	€2,846
Changde	large	inland	18°C	1,212 mm	€2,730
Changsha	large	inland	19°C	1,295 mm	€2,805
Changshu	large	coastal	17°C	967 mm	€2,744
Changzhi	large	inland	11°C	535 mm	€2,713
Changzhou	large	near the coast	17°C	1,008 mm	€2,811
Chengdu	major	inland	17°C	927 mm	€2,950
Chongqing	major	inland	19°C	1,112 mm	€2,891
Cixi	large	coastal	18°C	1,133 mm	€2,730
Dalian	major	coastal	12°C	562 mm	€2,850
Daqing	large	inland	5°C	445 mm	€2,740
Datong	large	inland	8°C	352 mm	€2,754
Dazhou	large	inland	18°C	1,129 mm	€2,739
Dongguan	major	coastal	23°C	1,606 mm	€2,917
Dongying	large	coastal	14°C	576 mm	€2,693
Fengxiang	large	coastal	17°C	948 mm	€2,706
Fushun	large	inland	9°C	666 mm	€2,727
Fuyang	large	inland	17°C	768 mm	€2,750
Fuzhou	large	coastal	21°C	1,349 mm	€2,823
Ganzhou	large	inland	20°C	1,352 mm	€2,761
Guangzhou	major	coastal	23°C	1,578 mm	€2,960
Guankou	large	inland	18°C	1,320 mm	€2,725
Guigang	large	near the coast	22°C	1,314 mm	€2,702
Guilin	large	inland	20°C	1,618 mm	€2,738
Guiyang	large	inland	15°C	1,050 mm	€2,803
Haikou	large	coastal	25°C	1,645 mm	€2,797
Handan	large	inland	15°C	525 mm	€2,724
Hangzhou	major	near the coast	18°C	1,212 mm	€2,912
Hanzhong	large	inland	15°C	804 mm	€2,694
Harbin	major	inland	6°C	528 mm	€2,857
Hefei	major	inland	17°C	1,055 mm	€2,853
Hengyang	large	inland	20°C	1,348 mm	€2,701
Heshan	large	inland	18°C	1,233 mm	€2,715
Heze	large	inland	16°C	623 mm	€2,723
Hezhou	large	inland	21°C	1,390 mm	€2,694
Hohhot	large	inland	8°C	256 mm	€2,778
Huai'an	large	near the coast	16°C	859 mm	€2,783
Huaibei	large	inland	16°C	671 mm	€2,704
Huainan	large	inland	17°C	809 mm	€2,744
Huizhou	large	near the coast	23°C	1,678 mm	€2,798
Huludao	mid-sized	coastal	11°C	486 mm	€2,688
Huzhou	large	near the coast	17°C	1,151 mm	€2,695
Jiangmen	large	coastal	23°C	1,794 mm	€2,751
Jiangyin	large	near the coast	17°C	987 mm	€2,808
Jiaxing	large	coastal	17°C	1,051 mm	€2,710
Jieyang	large	coastal	23°C	1,463 mm	€2,821
Jilin	large	inland	6°C	669 mm	€2,756
Jinan	large	inland	15°C	700 mm	€2,838
Jingzhou	large	inland	18°C	988 mm	€2,698
Jinhua	large	near the coast	18°C	1,366 mm	€2,731
Jining	large	inland	15°C	685 mm	€2,715
Jinjiang	large	coastal	22°C	1,091 mm	€2,798
Jiujiang	large	inland	18°C	1,297 mm	€2,708
Kaifeng	large	inland	16°C	572 mm	€2,730
Kashgar	mid-sized	inland	13°C	102 mm	€2,626
Kunming	large	inland	16°C	897 mm	€2,826
Kunshan	large	coastal	17°C	1,032 mm	€2,766
Laibin	mid-sized	inland	22°C	1,320 mm	€2,684
Laiwu	large	inland	14°C	750 mm	€2,692
Lanzhou	large	inland	11°C	340 mm	€2,802
Lhasa	smaller	inland	10°C	436 mm	€2,484
Lianyungang	large	coastal	15°C	869 mm	€2,762
Liaocheng	large	inland	15°C	549 mm	€2,714
Linfen	mid-sized	inland	14°C	456 mm	€2,689
Linyi	large	near the coast	15°C	818 mm	€2,793
Liupanshui	large	inland	13°C	1,051 mm	€2,721
Liuzhou	large	inland	21°C	1,489 mm	€2,729
Longyan	large	near the coast	21°C	1,326 mm	€2,696
Lu’an	large	inland	17°C	1,022 mm	€2,742
Lüliang	large	inland	11°C	445 mm	€2,812
Luohe	large	inland	16°C	727 mm	€2,719
Luoyang	large	inland	16°C	565 mm	€2,726
Luzhou	large	inland	19°C	1,088 mm	€2,693
Maoming	large	coastal	24°C	1,677 mm	€2,720
Meishan	large	inland	18°C	1,320 mm	€2,703
Meizhou	large	near the coast	22°C	1,355 mm	€2,693
Mianyang	large	inland	17°C	956 mm	€2,737
Nanchang	large	inland	19°C	1,422 mm	€2,778
Nanchong	large	inland	18°C	1,043 mm	€2,754
Nanjing	major	inland	17°C	1,015 mm	€2,913
Nanning	large	near the coast	22°C	1,313 mm	€2,826
Nantong	large	coastal	17°C	1,007 mm	€2,774
Nanyang	large	inland	16°C	781 mm	€2,752
Neijiang	large	inland	18°C	1,060 mm	€2,715
Ningbo	large	coastal	18°C	1,173 mm	€2,823
Ordos	large	inland	8°C	348 mm	€2,759
Panjin	large	coastal	10°C	535 mm	€2,709
Pingdingshan	large	inland	16°C	699 mm	€2,691
Putian	large	coastal	22°C	1,204 mm	€2,736
Qingdao	major	coastal	14°C	623 mm	€2,887
Qingyang	large	inland	10°C	528 mm	€2,768
Qingyuan	large	near the coast	22°C	1,530 mm	€2,748
Qinzhou	large	coastal	23°C	1,652 mm	€2,719
Qujing	large	inland	15°C	940 mm	€2,727
Sanhe	mid-sized	near the coast	13°C	438 mm	€2,690
Sanya	large	coastal	26°C	1,423 mm	€2,696
Shanghai	major	coastal	17°C	1,034 mm	€2,960
Shangqiu	large	inland	16°C	682 mm	€2,754
Shangrao	large	inland	19°C	1,625 mm	€2,704
Shantou	large	coastal	23°C	1,485 mm	€2,826
Shaoguan	large	inland	22°C	1,408 mm	€2,696
Shaoxing	large	coastal	18°C	1,201 mm	€2,775
Shenyang	major	near the coast	9°C	606 mm	€2,886
Shenzhen	major	coastal	23°C	1,770 mm	€2,960
Shijiazhuang	large	inland	14°C	490 mm	€2,828
Shiyan	large	inland	16°C	830 mm	€2,816
Songjiang	large	coastal	17°C	949 mm	€2,809
Suqian	large	near the coast	16°C	766 mm	€2,729
Suzhou	major	near the coast	17°C	910 mm	€2,881
Tai’an	large	inland	14°C	742 mm	€2,748
Taiyuan	major	inland	12°C	405 mm	€2,862
Taizhou	large	near the coast	16°C	961 mm	€2,740
Tangshan	large	near the coast	13°C	531 mm	€2,813
Tianjin	major	near the coast	13°C	472 mm	€2,930
Tianshui	large	inland	12°C	596 mm	€2,712
Ürümqi	large	inland	9°C	225 mm	€2,803
Wanzhou	large	inland	19°C	1,177 mm	€2,736
Weifang	large	near the coast	15°C	684 mm	€2,764
Weinan	large	inland	15°C	529 mm	€2,711
Wenzhou	large	coastal	19°C	1,478 mm	€2,819
Wuhan	major	inland	18°C	1,168 mm	€2,924
Wuhu	large	inland	17°C	1,078 mm	€2,740
Wuwei	large	inland	10°C	172 mm	€2,694
Wuxi	large	near the coast	17°C	949 mm	€2,839
Xi’an	major	inland	15°C	557 mm	€2,926
Xiamen	large	coastal	23°C	1,001 mm	€2,844
Xiangyang	large	inland	17°C	873 mm	€2,719
Xiaogan	mid-sized	inland	18°C	1,055 mm	€2,684
Xining	large	inland	7°C	365 mm	€2,744
Xinxiang	large	inland	16°C	489 mm	€2,698
Xinyang	large	inland	17°C	977 mm	€2,714
Xuchang	large	inland	16°C	652 mm	€2,717
Xuzhou	large	inland	16°C	656 mm	€2,716
Yancheng	large	coastal	16°C	941 mm	€2,741
Yangjiang	large	coastal	23°C	2,143 mm	€2,719
Yangzhou	large	near the coast	17°C	1,005 mm	€2,785
Yantai	large	coastal	13°C	633 mm	€2,772
Yichang	large	inland	18°C	999 mm	€2,723
Yichun	large	inland	19°C	1,379 mm	€2,698
Yinchuan	large	inland	11°C	196 mm	€2,732
Yiwu	large	near the coast	18°C	1,314 mm	€2,732
Yixing	large	near the coast	17°C	1,058 mm	€2,718
Yongzhou	large	inland	19°C	1,234 mm	€2,695
Yueyang	large	inland	18°C	1,148 mm	€2,693
Yulin	large	near the coast	23°C	1,431 mm	€2,699
Yunfu	large	near the coast	23°C	1,710 mm	€2,788
Zhangjiajie	mid-sized	inland	18°C	1,267 mm	€2,613
Zhanjiang	large	coastal	24°C	1,640 mm	€2,727
Zhaoqing	large	near the coast	23°C	1,647 mm	€2,737
Zhengzhou	large	inland	16°C	556 mm	€2,836
Zhongshan	large	coastal	23°C	1,755 mm	€2,826
Zhongwei	large	inland	11°C	186 mm	€2,709
Zhu Cheng City	large	near the coast	14°C	775 mm	€2,693
Zhuhai	large	coastal	23°C	1,775 mm	€2,771
Zhuzhou	large	inland	19°C	1,329 mm	€2,766
Zibo	large	near the coast	15°C	675 mm	€2,806
Zigong	large	inland	18°C	1,147 mm	€2,716
Zunyi	large	inland	16°C	996 mm	€2,763

Source: City size from GeoNames, temperature from the Open-Meteo archive (2019 to 2023 averages), rainfall from TerraClimate (1991 to 2020 normals), coast distance from Natural Earth. Cost is our model estimate for a couple living centrally.

Taxes

China sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. The tier applies to every city here, and couples who cap tax below it will not see these cities in their results.

Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Coarse by design; not tax advice.

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain. Long-term residency runs through an employer-sponsored work residence permit (annually renewable) or, for permanent residence, a multi-year high-salary employment track or an active business investment; there is no retirement, passive-income, or self-sufficiency route.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for China:

Investment: about $500k (China permanent residence investment route, lowest tier (western region / national poverty-alleviation counties / encouraged industries): USD 500,000 contributed to a Chinese company's registered capital and held for 3 years; regulation is denominated in USD (USD 1M central region, USD 2M elsewhere); as of June 2026)

For short visits, 67 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 3 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 128 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

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What our data says for a couple who both hold one of these passports: entry, residency, taxes, costs and the cities that rank first.

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