You can’t get much further from home than moving to China! When I moved to Beijing, I was asked a lot: “Is life in China good for foreigners?” I’m going to do my best to answer this fantastic question in this post!
Whether you’re reading this post out of sheer curiosity, or because you’re planning to move to China, welcome! I’ve been living in Beijing for five years, and plan to stay here with my fiancé until he gets his visa to the USA.
Let’s jump right in!
Is Life In China Good for Expats?
In short: yes, it’s amazing. It has its bumps, but ultimately it’s safe, comfortable, and provides a lot of security.
Finding Work
If you’re from an English speaking country and have a degree, it’s very easy to secure work here. While my teaching salary isn’t as high as it’d be in the USA, the cost of living here is lower, so I’ve been able to save a lot.
I know plenty of folks who are NOT from English speaking countries (European, Slavic, African, etc) who also find work, but it can be harder to find teaching jobs for them. There are plenty of other work options, though.
Finding Housing & Community
Apartment hunting is a breeze and can usually be done remotely, if necessary. Food and postal delivery services are exceptional. Traveling around Asia from China is also very cheap compared to coming from the US.
There are lots of expats in the bigger cities, and the expat community is quite supportive. Chinese locals are also usually very friendly and kind. Some people are a bit stand-offish towards foreigners, but it’s manageable.
All-in-all, my life in China has been safe and comfortable. I work a job I enjoy, save money, and have a good friend circle here. And I’m not an exception; my story is the same for many expats in China.
Safety & General Feeling of Society
China is VERY, very safe. This is one of the things I love most about living here.
No matter what time of day/night I’m out on the street in any Chinese city, I’ve always felt and been safe. In most situations, at the beach for example, you can leave your stuff behind and no one will touch it. It’s amazing.
People here are very curious, and sometimes will stare or make you feel quite like an outsider (which we are). But usually they are incredibly friendly, and the more Chinese I learn, the more I find this to be true.
There are some locals who get annoyed with foreigners, with our inability to communicate or our slowness. There are some negative stereotypes about foreigners, as well. But ultimately, such people are not too common.
What About the Language?
We have many idioms about the Chinese language in English. This is because, to Western countries with their alphabet-based languages, the idea of reading characters and speaking a tonal language is very intimidating!
Many expats will live in China for YEARS without learning the language. However, some of us do put in the work (it’s not easy) and pick up what we need in order to get around.
The language can be tough, partially depending on how you are with languages. In my opinion, it’s worth the struggle though. After five years here, I find Chinese much more fun and convenient than English!
Workplace Pros & Cons
China is known for being very intense with their work ethic. High school students will stay at school until 9pm in some cases. Working age adults have this term “996”, which refers to working 9am-9pm, 6 days a week.
Thankfully, foreigners usually don’t get pushed so much, especially in teaching jobs. It makes me sad seeing my Chinese colleagues getting so much dumped on them, though (and their salaries are usually lower than expats’).
Despite the pressure, my Chinese colleagues are all super professional, kind, and helpful. Every workplace I’ve been at in China has had many such people, who make working a wonderful experience.
Some of these colleagues have even offered to host me during holidays, or travel with me if I need. And they don’t make these offers flippantly, they really mean it! They are some of the most hospitable people you’ll meet.
Problems with Management
Sometimes managements can be a bit tricky, though. I’ve had jobs where the management was extremely kind, open, and cooperative. I’ve also worked jobs where the management took advantage of my lack of knowledge.
Chinese labor laws are different than laws in the US. I once signed a contract that had many unlawful policies in it, which made my life pretty difficult.
When I told my Chinese friend about the contract, he was very alarmed, and did his best to help me. He told me that this happens sometimes, that a company tries to exploit foreigners’ lack of understanding the labor system.
So in short: colleagues are incredibly wonderful, management can go either way (so be careful!), and work ethic can get out of hand (but as a foreigner, you may deal with less of this).
Differences in Views
As an American, I come from a place whose views are extremely different from China’s. And I’ll be honest, I was really worried about this when moving to China. So were my family and friends.
After living here for some time, I’ve come to understand that as an expat, I’m just like a guest staying at someone else’s home. Ultimately, it’s not my house, it’s theirs, and I should be respectful of that.
There are lots of expats here who whine and complain about these differences. And whether or not I agree with them, I usually just tell them that if they dislike something about China, they can (and maybe should) just move.
Thoughts on Being A Guest here
I personally think it’s really rude to “live off the land”, enjoy the quality of life here, and then totally disrespect local customs and opinions. To me, such behavior is like spitting in the face of a host who’s been kind and welcoming.
For us expats, we weren’t born here, but we chose to be here. So if we stay, I think it’s important to be courteous guests who are pleasant to have around. Guests don’t make the house rules, but they abide by them.
For me, I’m very much at peace with the perspective that I have. I’ve learned to study and understand the customs and ideas of the people around me, rather than deprecate them. In understanding, I’ve found harmony.
Finances & Costs of Living in China
As I mentioned before, though my teaching salary is lower than the one I’d have in the US, my cost of living is also very low!
In Beijing this year (2023), teachers’ salaries (after taxes) can go anywhere from $2,500 USD a month to $5,000 USD a month. Some people go much higher than this range, especially at Beijing’s bigger schools.
So let’s lowball and say I’m making $2,500 USD per month. Well, my rent is exactly $450 per month for a 2 bedroom apartment, and utilities, groceries, and all of that cost about another $150 a month at most.
Even with such a low salary, that leaves me with $1,900 USD in savings per month. Maybe a few hundred less if I spend a ton extra going out, shopping, etc.
I’ve saved WAY more living in China than I would have in the US. My work pays social insurance, and also provides some meals for us in the cafeteria, so life here is really easy for us.
Social Life for Expats in China
I would say that this is probably the biggest area that’s lacking for me, but it’s mostly a personal issue. I have a small group of expat friends where I live, but only 2-3 close friends in all of China.
If I were to live downtown in the center of Beijing, I’d pay a LOT more for rent, but have a lot of networking opportunities. As I live very far outside of the city, I don’t meet too many people, expats or Chinese.
Building a relationship with Chinese friends has always been a struggle for me, as I feel it’s very difficult to get past the small talk and into the really deep discussions. I’ve met dozens of new friends…who stay “new friends”.
I’d say maybe it’s just me (I’m a huge introvert), but I’ve heard the same from many other expats here.
Thankfully, the expat community in big cities presents lots of opportunities for socialization. Literature clubs, sports clubs, and every kind of gathering you can imagine are to be found in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
And you will find those deep, lifelong friendships with Chinese friends over time. They may not be as plentiful as the expat friendships you’ll build, but they’re still here, just waiting for a good meal and a chat to spark it.
Summary: Is Life In China Good for Expats?
As I said before, my opinion is a very strong YES. Life in China is super comfortable for me, has allowed me to learn so much about a new culture, and has helped me to grow a lot, while also allowing me to save a lot.
I know, it sounds “too good to be true”, and there surely are expats who would say differently from me. But in general, I find expats here to be quite happy with their lives in China.
So much depends on you and your preferences. But honestly, if you’re a flexible person who can learn to roll with the tides of a new place and culture, you’ll likely fall in love with life in China before long.
So that’s my take on answering the question of “Is Life in China Good?”. I hope you found this post informative and down-to-earth. Still have questions? I’m happy to answer in the comments!
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