⭐️ Total score | 2.58/5 (Rank #858) |
👍 Quality of life score | Okay |
👶 Family score | Bad |
🎒 Community score | Okay |
💵 Cost | 😙 Affordable: $1,565 / mo |
📡 Internet | 🤬 Unusably slow: 0.00Mbps (avg) |
😝 Fun | Bad |
⛅️ Temperature (now) | 🥶 Too cold: 4°C40°F (feels 4°C39°F) |
💦 Humidity (now) | 🌵 Too dry: 19% |
💨 Air quality (now) | 😷 Unhealthy : 155 US AQI |
💨 Air quality (annual) | 😐 Moderate: 85 US AQI |
👌 Safety | Great |
👮♀️ Lack of crime* | Great |
🤝 Lack of racism* | Bad |
🎓 Education level* | Mediocre |
⚡️ Power grid | Great |
🌊 Vulnerability to climate change | Good |
💰 Income level* | Very low: $677 / mo |
🙊 English speaking* | Bad |
🚶 Walkability | Great |
✌️ Peace (no pol. conflict) | Okay |
🚦 Traffic safety* | Bad |
🏥 Healthcare* | Good |
😄 Happiness* | Okay |
🍸 Nightlife | Bad |
📶 Free WiFi in city | Bad |
🖥 Places to work from | Great |
❄️ A/C or heating | Bad |
😁 Friendly to foreigners | Bad |
🗯 Freedom of speech* | |
👩 Female friendly | Okay |
🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly | Bad |
🎅 Startup Score | Bad |
🌍 Continent | Asia |
🚩 Country | China |
⛅️ Weather (now) | ☀️ 4°C 40°F + 🌵 Too dry (19%) = feels 4°C 39°F |
💨 Air quality (now) | 👎☠️ 155 US AQI = 🚬 🚬 / day |
💨 Air quality (annual avg) | 👎😷 85.25 US AQI = 🚬 / day |
🔌 Power | 230V50Hz |
🚕 Best taxi app* | |
🚑 Travel medical insurance | ![]() |
💸 10 CNY in USD | USD 1.48 |
🏧 Suggested ATM take out: | CNY 1,000 = USD 148 |
💸 Tipping | No |
💳 Cashless | 💵 No, cash only (esp. for foreigners because WeChat is very hard to set up) |
☕️ Best coffee place | Starbucks |
🚰 Tap water | 🚫 No, not drinkable |
👨👩👧👦 Population | 850,000 people |
👨👩👧👦 GDP per capita* | $8,126 / year |
👫 Gender ratio (population) | 👨 53% 👱♀️ 47% |
👫 Gender ratio (young adults) | 👨 56% 👱♀️ 44% |
⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious |
🏠 Apartment listings | Ganji |
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | Hainan |
✈️ Best int'l air carrier | China Southern Airlines |
💵 Cost of living for nomad | $1,565 / month |
💵 Cost of living for expat | $1,052 / month |
💵 Cost of living for family | $3,006 / month |
💵 Cost of living for local | $859 / month |
🏨 Hotel (median price) | $943 / month |
🏡 Airbnb (median price) | $1,028 / month |
🏠 1br studio rent in center | $587 / month |
🏨 Hotel (median price) | $44 / night |
🏠 Airbnb (median price) | $34 / night |
🏢 Coworking hot desk | $155 / month |
🍛 Dinner | $3 |
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $1 |
🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $2 |
☕️ Coffee | $4 |
✅ Affordable to live
✅ Very safe
✅ Spacious and not crowded
✅ Easy to do business
✅ Safe for women
❌ No freedom of speech
❌ Unusably slow internet
❌ Not much to do
❌ Cold now
❌ Gets very cold in the winter
❌ Very dry air now
❌ Bad air quality today
❌ Difficult to make friends
❌ Quality of education is low
❌ Hospitals are bad
❌ Roads can be dangerous
❌ People don't speak English well
❌ Not family friendly
❌ Hostile towards LGBTQ+
❌ People smoking tobacco a lot
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
Feels | 30-1° freezing | 436° cold | 5412° cool | 5714° cool | 6820° mild | 7021° mild | 7725° warm | 7021° mild | 6619° mild | 5010° cold | 394° cold | 0° freezing |
Real | 30-1° freezing | 436° very cold | 5412° cool | 5714° cool | 6619° mild | 7021° mild | 7725° warm | 7021° mild | 6619° mild | 5010° cold | 394° very cold | 320° freezing |
Humidity | too dry 27% | too dry 25% | nice 34% | nice 53% | nice 45% | nice 66% | nice 61% | nice 68% | nice 68% | nice 66% | nice 40% | nice 35% |
Rain | dry 3mm | dry 6mm | dry 11mm | rainy 51mm | dry 47mm | rainy 80mm | rainy 82mm | rainy 60mm | rainy 89mm | dry 34mm | dry 5mm | dry 3mm |
Cloud | pockets 34% | pockets 49% | cloudy 52% | cloudy 76% | cloudy 59% | cloudy 81% | cloudy 58% | cloudy 69% | cloudy 67% | cloudy 69% | pockets 24% | pockets 35% |
Air quality | bad 153 US AQI | bad 138 US AQI | bad 121 US AQI | bad 120 US AQI | bad 107 US AQI | okay 83 US AQI | okay 88 US AQI | okay 77 US AQI | okay 83 US AQI | okay 95 US AQI | bad 141 US AQI | bad 160 US AQI |
Sun | seek shade 3 UVI | seek shade 4 UVI | avoid sun 6 UVI | avoid sun 6 UVI | avoid sun 7 UVI | avoid sun 8 UVI | avoid sun 10 UVI | avoid sun 8 UVI | avoid sun 7 UVI | seek shade 5 UVI | seek shade 3 UVI | safe 2 UVI |
Remote workers | 200 people | 200 people | 0 people | 0 people | 0 people | 0 people | 0 people | 200 people | 200 people | 200 people | 0 people | 0 people |
If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomad List's Climate Finder
Based on Xining's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
I lived and worked (at a law firm) in Chengdu for about 3 months. I absolutely loved the city! It's so different from east coast China, especially given the Tibetan influences in many areas. I had a company arrange my apartment and registrations, but was a seamless process. I am a white, American male who speaks a decent bit of Mandarin, and I found the locals to be incredibly hospitable. China is general is extremely affordable for a Westerner, and Chengdu offers the luxuries of any large, West
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun mediocre👮 Safety goodTap to open☀️ Feels 15° 59° 15° 59°AQI 192😷✈️56min$3,560 / mo×I lived in Chongqing for about 5 years. I mostly love this place but it's not easy for Westerners unless you can speak some Chinese. But with a smartphone you can translate anything you need to say. Chongqing is beautiful, gritty and romantic. Extremely inexpensive and lots of things to do. Beautiful women. Maybe the most unique city in China. Weather terrible in winter and summer. Winter is foggy, rainy and low light while summers are uncomfortably hot and humid. They don't speak standard Manda
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🙂 Okay📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun mediocre👮 Safety goodTap to open☀️ Feels 16° 61° 16° 62°AQI 164😷✈️1h$2,843 / mo1Mbps×I lived and worked (at a law firm) in Chengdu for about 3 months. I absolutely loved the city! It's so different from east coast China, especially given the Tibetan influences in many areas. I had a company arrange my apartment and registrations, but was a seamless process. I am a white, American male who speaks a decent bit of Mandarin, and I found the locals to be incredibly hospitable. China is general is extremely affordable for a Westerner, and Chengdu offers the luxuries of any large, West
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun mediocre👮 Safety goodTap to open☀️ Feels 15° 59° 15° 59°AQI 192😷✈️56min$3,560 / mo🌇 Also went here3 people×Definitely an underrated place for nomads - Huge city with a small town feel. Lots of different neighborhoods to appeal to different types of people: some commercial, some hipstery, some historical, some modern. Food and rent is cheap (and the food is damn good). People are very friendly as compared to other big Asian cities. You can also get easy work as a tutor and make good extra cash. I survived for five months tutoring and doing other English related work for max 12 hrs a week (leaving me
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🙂 Okay📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun mediocre👮 Safety goodTap to open☀️ Feels 8° 46° 9° 47°AQI 144😷✈️2h$2,795 / mo🌇 Also went here5 people×Hanoi feels more like a "large village" than a proper city. It's also what I call "unapologetically Vietnamese" given the way most places and shops are occupied and used by locals. English penetration isn't bad, but maybe because I speak Vietnamese I never had much of a problem in Hanoi. Prices for coffee, juice, smoothies, and food are insanely affordable. I wouldn't say the locals are "friendly to a fault" and mostly have left me alone. Yes, the old town city center is dirty, garbage on the
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 😙 Affordable📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun bad👮 Safety mediocreTap to open☀️ Feels 22° 72° 22° 72°AQI 7✈️2h$1,146 / mo🌇 Also went here3 people×Pretty much near impossible to get by if English is your only language. Couldn't get a Chinese SIM. Experienced Racism in bars / clubs as the only Westerners in there. Bar staff disinterested to serve us and looking down on us. Beautiful skyline very impressive modern architecture but generally a nightmare getting around if you don't speak any Chinese. Wouldn't go again
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 😙 Affordable📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun good👮 Safety goodTap to open🌥 Feels 21° 70° 21° 69°AQI 127😷✈️2h$1,778 / mo🌇 Also went here3 people×Shanghai is a giant city and your experience really depends on a few factors like: 1) where you live in the city 2) do you speak basic Mandarin 3) do you make nice money 4) do you have to use the internet If you can afford to live in Jing'an or the French Concession, you can live a fashionable metropolitan lifestyle like you would in New York City. There's amazing food (Asian, Western and fusion). You'll be surrounded by entrepreneurs, artists, fashion designers and models. Many of whom d
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun great👮 Safety goodTap to open☀️ Feels 17° 63° 16° 61°AQI 93😷✈️3h$3,510 / mo🌇 Also went here3 people×Hong Kong is a great city with dense urban areas but also nature and hiking routes only 15 minutes away. There are restaurants for every taste and budget, from the best US fast casual chains to high end Michelin star restaurants. It's also extremely safe, despite recent political instability.
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun great👮 Safety goodTap to open🌤 Feels 18° 64° 18° 64°AQI 60✈️3h$3,915 / mo🌇 Also went here3 people×I really liked Chiang Mai but I can't put my finger on why. I'll try to remain unbiased so here goes. Chiang Mai is a dirty place with horrible pollution levels. English speaking is okay. I did really enjoy a balance of simple, risk-free living at low cost and acceptable quality of living. Many places only accept cash but plenty accept card. There's lots to do and it's fun exploring on a moped/motorbike. It feels as easy as Canggu with more modern appointments to get by as a westerner a bit easi
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 😙 Affordable📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun mediocre👮 Safety goodTap to open☀️ Feels 29° 84° 27° 80°AQI 109😷✈️3h$1,353 / mo🌇 Also went here6 people×Definitely check out The Key (on near Zhong Xiao Dun Hua station) if living here for more than a month. Cafe + Gym + Bar all in one, monthly membership about $50 USD. English-friendly, no contracts. Made my 3 month stay here immensely better with fast wifi in the cafe and it's a great feeling to be able to work out immediately after working.
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun mediocre👮 Safety goodTap to open☀️ Feels 21° 70° 21° 70°AQI 55✈️3h$3,035 / mo🌇 Also went here3 people×Bangkok is a really nice city. I lived 2 weeks in Bangkok and it was a good trip ! People are very nice, smiling and the cost is affordable. Some beautifuls temple, gardens, market etc. Chinatown is a place to visit, and Bangkok is globally clean !
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 😙 Affordable📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun good👮 Safety goodTap to open🌥 Feels 31° 88° 30° 86°🥵AQI 180😷✈️3h$2,175 / mo🌇 Also went here4 people×I've been in Phuket for about a month now. Most of that time I've spent in Ka Ron and Kata beach area, but also have been to Chalong, Pa Tong, Rawai, and Kathu. Karon and Kata beaches are my favorite. Beaches are beautiful, especially Karon. Overall most everything is reasonably priced, but not the bargain I was told it is. I eventually found a hotel I like, where I pay 12-13 euro per night (below 500 baht atm) and that is by far the lowest I found for the quality I expect. Considering the loc
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun good👮 Safety goodTap to open🌤 Feels 31° 88° 28° 83°AQI 95😷✈️4h$3,014 / mo🌇 Also went here3 people×Tokyo has so much to offer and so much to do. It is easily overwhelming. Whereas I usually take my first week to explore a place Tokyo’s sights just kept on going. I remember ending up in a hidden cocktail bar, a mexican rooftop party with 1 meter margaritas, spending a whole day going only to French places(?), visiting a store that only imported 2nd hand hiphop apparel, and throughout it all the best michelin star ramen. It just seemed endless, completely unrelated and incredibly fun. Six wee
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 🧐 Too expensive📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun great👮 Safety greatTap to open🌥 Feels 6° 43° 7° 45°AQI 5✈️5h$4,696 / mo🌇 Also went here4 people×Just arrived in KL, we are 30/35yrs+, a married couple and digital nomads, and wow.. What a city! This is the New York City of Asia. These appartments are epic. Grand views, very affordable, luxurious! You would pay 10-fold for the same deal in NYC or Tokyo or Dubai. And the food is fantastic. Indian, Malay, Indo, Chinese, American, European. The world is here!
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 😙 Affordable📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun bad👮 Safety mediocreTap to open🌧 Feels 33° 91° 27° 80°🥵AQI 28✈️5h$1,816 / mo🌇 Also went here3 people×Not gonna lie, I was pretty curious and kinda hyped before I came to Singapore. However, within 24 hours all of my curiosity turned into disappointment. Yes, Singapore is clean by any standards but especially by Asian standards. And yes, you have shopping malls, fancy skyscrapers and free toilets everywhere. But beside from that Singapore is boring and has no soul. It just seems like Singapore tries to copy interesting parts of other countries and their nature. Take Cloud Forest for example wh
⭐️ OverallAll 💵 Cost 😳 Way too expensive📡 InternetWiFi 🤬 Unusably slow😀 Fun good👮 Safety greatTap to open🌧 Feels 30° 86° 26° 79°🥵AQI 38✈️5h$5,421 / mo🌇 Also went here4 people×