Moving to Ohio from China

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from China to Ohio? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from China to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 2.8 times more expensive than China overall. A CN¥507,720 salary in China would need to be roughly $135,376 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 64°F in Beijing, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between China and Ohio.

What does your salary buy?

CN¥507,720 $135,376

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 4.8 times more

Groceries

pay 2.4 times more

Transportation

pay 2.7 times more

Housing

pay 4.4 times more

Childcare

pay 2.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.4 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CNY = 0.1477 USD (June 2026)

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 Ohio cost about 84% more than cities in China.

China

Shanghai 36%
Ningbo 31%
Xiamen 28%
Jinan 27%

Ohio

Dayton 58%
Akron 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Ohio

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from China to Ohio.

Moved in 2023
57,240 ↓ 16% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Ohio compared to China.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

CN
6.2%
OH
39.5%

China performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

CN
73.0%
OH
89.0%

Ohio performs significantly better than China across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CN
4.7%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CN
$22,100
OH
$60,669

Ohio generally does better on employment & economy, though China leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2020

average years of life at birth

CN
76.1 yrs
OH
75.3 yrs

China performs better than Ohio across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Beijing Rain: 22.8 in/yr (578 mm)
64° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Columbus Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Beijing Columbus
Jan–Mar 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) 84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) 90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Beijing Columbus
Jan 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C)

Data: China Meteorological Administration China Meteorological Administration, National Weather Service 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

China passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
China passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting China

Visa Required
United States passport holders need a visa to enter China.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than China?

On average Ohio is around 81% pricier than China, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

Budget about $33,844 for 3 months in Ohio (based on a CN¥507,720 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Ohio?

From major Ohio cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in China and Ohio are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to China?

China performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Ohio compared to China?

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 64°F in Beijing. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Beijing gets 22.8 in.

What language do they speak in Ohio?

The official language in Ohio is English. In China, the official language is Chinese.

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At a Glance

CN
Population 1,410,539,758 11,536,504
Currency Chinese Yuan (CN¥) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Chinese English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +86 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 110 911