Moving to China from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to China — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to China, you would find that China is 50.9% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$107,867 salary in Australia would need to be roughly CN¥242,147 in China to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to China.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,867 → CN¥242,147
To maintain the same standard of living in China
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 75.0% less
Groceries
pay 41.6% less
Transportation
pay 47.1% less
Housing
pay 75.8% less
Childcare
pay 30.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.3% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in China cost about 49% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia to China, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to China?
Top countries of origin for China's foreign-born residents.
- 303,095
- 209,555
- 144,831
- 57,602
- 56,657
- 30,811
- · · ·
-
17.4,052
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and China stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia generally does better on safety, though China leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though China leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though China leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though China leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs better than China across all family life metrics.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
China Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting China
Visa Free
China passport holder visiting Australia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in China than Australia?
Generally yes: China runs about 52% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to China?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,867 comparable salary, that's around CN¥60,537 in China for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from China?
With 41.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, China can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and China.
Is China safe for expats?
Australia generally does better on safety, though China leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in China compared to Australia?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 39.8 in Australia. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in China compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Beijing is 64°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Beijing receives around 22.8 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in China?
The official language in China is Chinese. In Australia, the official language is English.
