Moving to Illinois from China
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from China to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from China to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 2.7 times more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly $205,000 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Illinois cheaper than China?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.0 times more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 73.2% more
Housing
pay 4.6 times more
Childcare
pay 80.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.2 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → $205,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →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 Illinois cost about 94% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from China to Illinois, based on official data.
people moved from China to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
-
3.2,184,110
China
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from China to Illinois.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
China performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
China performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
China generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
China performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Illinois vs China
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Shanghai | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Shanghai | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
National Weather Service
Can you move from China to Illinois?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
China passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting China
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 Illinois than China?
No — Illinois is on average about 174% more expensive than China. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $51,250 in Illinois on a CN¥500,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
Usually fine from major cities in Illinois. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to China?
China performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to China?
The average high temperature in Chicago is 59°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In China, the official language is Chinese.
