China
What brings you to China?
Study and grow abroad: university exchange, internships, language programmes, and student life. Covers academic requirements, student housing, visa rules, and integration.
Plan the perfect trip: visas, itineraries, costs, transport, safety, and what to see. Covers tourism, city breaks, digital nomad trips, and extended travel.
Everything you need to move abroad: visa pathways, housing, cost of living, healthcare, schools, and expat life. Covers solo moves, family relocation, retirement, and business setup.
How China scores
Tier 2 (affordable): Shanghai/Beijing expensive; tier-2/3 cities very affordable.
Generally safe; very low street crime; CCTV ubiquitous; political speech caution.
Improving urban hospitals; expat-grade clinics in Shanghai/Beijing; rural limited.
Upper-middle; good international schools in expat hubs; VPN required for many services.
Great Firewall significantly restricts internet; not nomad-friendly; WeChat-only society.
Standard visa process; work/business permit required; 10-year tourist visa for some nationalities.
World-class HSR (Fuxing) network; excellent metros in major cities.
Huge for business expats; Shanghai/Beijing iconic; tourism growing post-COVID.
About these scores
Scores are editorial estimates based on public indices (World Bank, Global Peace Index, Numbeo). Higher = better. Cost of living is inverted: 90 = very affordable, 28 = expensive.
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