Chengdu, China Report of what it's like to live there - 08/06/26
Personal Experiences from Chengdu, China
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
I've lived in six countries as a freelance worker/volunteer/language teacher. I lived in Anyang, Busan and Seoul (South Korea), Shanghai (China), Oaxaca City (Mexico), Chiang Mai and Bangkok (Thailand), Berhampur (India), and Sofia (Bulgaria).
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
I'm from Eastern Canada (most recently Montreal). The best route is *usually* through the Middle East (Doha or Istanbul), with "only" two flights. Total flying time is 18-20 hours, depending on the direction. Going over the Pacific would be two stopovers rather than one.
3. What years did you live here?
2023-now (almost three years so far and still loving it!)
4. How long have you lived here?
Almost three years in Chengdu. And I also lived in Shanghai 2003-2006. A life-defining experience!
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
My partner's work, and our desire to see China again after living in Shanghai 20 years ago.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. 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!
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Availability is amazing, once you can use the apps in Chinese! I know some expats also use Sam's Club, but we order groceries through the Hema app (a supermarket chain) and it's great! Excellent quality products, fresher than in Canada, lots of organic stuff, and delivered to our apartment in less than an hour. Western products need to be sourced elsewhere, though. We order good cheese through the TaoBao app. Again, that's all in Chinese (but BaoPals is a slightly more expensive, English-language version). Household supplies, also on TaoBao, are delivered within a couple days to your apartment building (in the Cai Niao area, which is more or less organised depending on your compound).
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Shoes and clothing... It's harder to find "large" (Western) sizes and styles I like. In Canada, I'm medium-sized.. Here, XL!
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
I don't really know, because I don't know many other expats.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
I'm amazed that there aren't!
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Haha, I don't. There are post offices, but you really need to speak Chinese to use them. We don't even have a mailbox. Everything is online! When we receive actual mail, the building notifies us and we pick it up at the service center.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Again, I don't know about other expats, but I love that we can ask for a cleaning lady to come once a week. The cost in our compound is $30 CAD for 3 hours. It's great! It's VERY dusty here, so weekly cleaning is not a luxury...
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
Life feels very safe here, but you do need to watch out for the traffic. Almost all vehicles are electric and silent. Delivery mopeds/motorcycles are FAST and silent! There are nice paths to twalk, run or cycle along the river. There are lots of green spaces, and also the Green Belt.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Lots, and not expensive, I think. Gyms, pools, there's even a running track on top of the shopping mall!
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
I've never used an ATM here, but banks have them... I've never used a credit card either. Almost everyone pays with Alipay or WeChat. Businesses HAVE to accept cash, but I really don't know if Western credits cards would be accepted...definitely not everywhere.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
It's really useful to speak a little Chinese! The dialect here, Sichuan-hua, is really different and difficult to understand for me. If you can't speak Chinese, people will just take out their phone and translate, either text or voice, so no worries.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
I think so. Most places don't seem very accessible.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Extremely! Metros and buses (modern, clean, efficient) cost 40 cents CAD (but are really full at rush hour). We call taxis through the Didi app (it's like Uber, but faster and cheaper). I usually get a "Premium" car. The 45-minute ride to Tianfu airport costs around $35 CAD. Most rides around the city are less than 10 or 15$.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes, it's available and fast, but your VPN will slow down the connection a lot. I guess it takes a couple days to install, I don't remember. It's a lot cheaper than in Canada!
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
I highly recommend having a non-Chinese phone that allows e-sims (Chinese phones don't, lesson learned), for convenience when traveling. Local sim cards are not expensive (with lots of data) but they're a hassle to get, initally. You do need a Chinese phone number for many things!
Health & Safety:
1. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
The air quality is okay most of the time, but it can be bad in the winter... Although it's generally much better thatn 20 years ago!
2. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
I don't think people are aware of food allergies. You need to be able to explain in Chinese, in detail, what you can't eat.
3. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Summers are extremely hot (high 30's plus humidity) and sometimes rainy. Winters are cool, grey, cloudy and polluted, but no snow. Spring and fall are best!
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Tiny. I rarely see other foreigners, even when we used to live in Tongilin, supposedly "foreigner-central" (but how many years ago???).
2. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Convenience! Once you (or your partner, haha!) can use the apps that are all in Chinese, groceries and other deliveries are a breeze. I don't even buy souvenirs when I travel in China anymore - I just "TaoBao" them when I get home, haha! Train travel is great, fast, and affordable - lots of cool places to visit near Chengdu! There are tons of malls in Chengdu, which are more like entertainment centers. People are generally very curious about us, though they tend to hide it. Once you smile, people will want to talk to you! It also feels very safe - personal crime is very low.
3. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
The Yulin neighborhood is fun to walk around in - we especially like the Wild West Brewery and Xi Yu restaurant. The other area I was happy to discover is called "Water Street", near Tiexiang Temple (which is also worth a visit). Restaurants, bars, tea houses, lovely scenery...
4. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
It's a top-level Chinese city with lots of conveniences. Costs are lower than in Canada and quality of life is great, if you can get used to lliving in China! As usual, it's a mix of old and new... every neighborhood is different, though the new ones are mostly apartment buildings.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
I actually don't wish I'd known because it would have scared me, but we expected our move to Chengdu to be relatively smooth, since we lived in Shanghai 20 years ago, but China has changed so much! We used to chat with the waitress to order at the restaurant... now you just scan the menu (all in Chinese, with tiny pictures that all look the same) and try to order! Thankfully, people are nice and will help you. Also, my first winter, I wasn't prepared for the cold... Now I am! Everything is hard, in the beginning, but it's worth it!
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes, 100%!
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Ideas of what China is like: it's nothing like the Western media presents it! Also, your idea of privacy and personal space... It's fine once you get used to it, but very frustrating at first!
4. But don't forget your:
Sense of humor!
5. Do you have any other comments?
Chengdu, a city of "only" 21 million people, is relatively unknown abroad, but if you can adapt, life here is great! Our quality of life here is better than it would be in Montreal with the same budget and more interesting!
