Chengdu - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Everything's available, but it's not as inexpensive as we thought... there are lots of fake listings online. The further south you go, the more exclusive the apartments, I think. Forget Tongzilin, where everyone says to go. We lived there and it's boring. We now live further south, in a nice compound, with better amenities and better transportation. We currently have a 3-bedroom apartment, with 3 bathrooms... It's nice when we have guests over! Our previous apartment in Tongzilin was older and had a lot more problems (but it was cheaper). In older, cheaper apartments, apparently you can't flush toilet paper... Lesson learned - the hard way, haha! - Aug 2026
US Consulate compound. It is adjacent to the Consulate. <1 minute walk to work. Units are single-floor units with various sizes, some with balconies. It is simple and cozy but adequate. The compound has a playground, a tennis court and a pool. Kids love riding the scooters/bikes around the compound, playing tennis, swimming in the pool and having friends around to play with. Location is great. Walking distance to many restaurants, shops and a mall. Subway station is right around the corner. - Aug 2017
Consulate housing is moving towards service apartments (Oakwood, Ascott, Fraser Suites), which is very nice. For large families, there is housing on the consulate compound. There are a few older apartment buildings which are not as nice, but i think they are mostly being phased out. Almost all of the housing is quite convenient to the Consulate, either by walking or the metro. - May 2016
Chengdu is a rapidly growing Consulate so the housing pool is always changing. Compact high-rise apartments are the norm. They often look quite nice but construction standards are not what they are in the U.S.---as is the case in most developing countries. Depending on traffic (which increased dramatically even during our 2 years in Chengdu) commute times vary from 5-10 minutes to 30-45 minutes at rush hour to the apartments the furthest away. The nice thing is that these high-rises always tend to open right into bustling neighborhoods. Unless you live in a villa community outside of town, you are never more than a 5 minute walk from a noodle shop, a convenience store and a vegetable or fruit stand. The Consulate does have 12 apartments mostly reserved for families with children. They may not be the most stylish but the build quality is much appreciated. - Aug 2013
In the US Consulate community there are a couple of free-standing homes, a couple of townhouses, and lots of apartments. - May 2013