Moving to Minnesota from China
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from China to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from China to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 3.1 times more expensive than China overall. A CN¥507,720 salary in China would need to be roughly $149,776 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from China to Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
CN¥507,720 → $149,776
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.3 times more
Groceries
pay 2.9 times more
Transportation
pay 2.5 times more
Housing
pay 4.7 times more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.8 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from China to Minnesota, and how the trend has changed.
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
How China and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
China performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Minnesota performs significantly better than China 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
Minnesota generally does better on employment & economy, though China leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Minnesota performs significantly better than China across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Beijing | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Beijing | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
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 Minnesota than China?
Day-to-day costs in Minnesota run about 100% higher than China on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CN¥507,720 comparable salary, that's around $37,444 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Minnesota?
Working remotely from Minnesota's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in China and Minnesota.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to China?
China performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to China?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 64°F in Beijing. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Beijing gets 22.8 in.
What language do they speak in Minnesota?
The official language in Minnesota is English. In China, the official language is Chinese.
