Guangzhou, China Report of what it's like to live there - 03/06/26
Personal Experiences from Guangzhou, China
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, we have also lived in Japan and Korea.
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?
Home is Virginia in the US, the flight over takes about 18 hours of flight time depending on the route. It is fairly easy to navigate to Guangzhou, just book tickets on any major airline and make sure you have your Visa stuff sorted out before you travel otherwise you will have a bad time.
3. What years did you live here?
2025-2027.
4. How long have you lived here?
About 1 ½ years so far.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic Mission
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We live in a mission-funded apartment so we do not pay rent or utilities currently. We have a three bedroom unit for a four person family with a pet. All diplomatic mission housing is in apartments and the longest commute from any of them is about 10 minutes.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Food options are plentiful and very inexpensive compared to US or EU prices. The only items we cannot get are good pickles and assorted cheeses.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
We regularly ship in children’s cereal as the local options are not that great, and boxed macaroni and cheese. Otherwise we buy everything locally.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Online ordering is king here, we use Meituan a few times a week and other local apps for fresh produce.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
You have your occasional spider, lizard or other bug that appear in apartments. Nothing stands out as a real problem due to our housing management office regularly spraying pesticides.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
We use the diplomatic post office, but FedEx and DHL run locally here and can be used easy enough.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Household help is fairly cheap, we pay our full time Ayi (Housekeeper) 8000RMB a month which is about $1150 USD. She cooks, cleans and takes care of the kids for us.
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?
Oh absolutely, Guangzhou is one of the safest places I have ever lived, apart from scooters on the sidewalks. We often walk with our small children through parks and the city at night without worry or issue. There are lots of guards and police that patrol everywhere as well as cameras so people behave pretty well.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
So many gyms, all of the hotels and apartments have their own facilities and then there are a ton of options in the local malls and stuff. I don’t know the price as I use the free options I have available.
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?
Yes, with caveats. We added our international credit cards to both WeChat and AliPay and they are accepted everywhere without issues. Only some of the larger and more foreign friendly shops will accept physical international cards. Cash is still supposed to be accepted but most of the time if you try to pay with cash you will be asked to use digital payments if possible.
6. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Not a lot, there is a non-denominational church that is popular but its of the kind where men wear ties and women don’t really speak much so we avoid it and watch services online from our home church in the states.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You absolutely need a modest amount of the language to live here full time or you will have a harder experience. I am not fluent but I know enough to ask for directions to the bathroom, and order food which is enough. Translation apps go a long way and China has had a push to make themselves more friendly for foreign travelers but it is very much still a work in progress. There are a lot of local tutors and class’s that you could use as resources.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
It is very walking friendly, with blind strips on all of the sidewalks. However, there are a lot of stairs and the scooter traffic on the walkways is kind of overwhelming during rush hour so I don’t think it would be ideal for someone with disabilities (but doable at the end of the day).
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes, many bus routes, subways, the people mover trains and cabs are prominent and very affordable.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
I recommend not bringing a vehicle because public transportation is so available.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Most apartment come with free internet but you can buy your own line if you want. It costs around 40-60USD a month and depends on the provider. It takes a week or two to get everything sorted out.
The State controlled internet is quite restrictive, so a VPN is a MUST. It is highly recommended to have one prior to arrival as setting up in country is difficult. Some housing apartments have internet already running on a VPN but the management but it is spotty and you can ask to be removed from it.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
The cell phones here are very versatile just like in the US. All Apple phones and services are fully functional if you are already in that ecosystem. All other Android phones work well. However, Google Services are blocked without a VPN so if you use a Pixel phone or other similar Android/Google specific services you need to be aware of that.
Local devices such as Huawei and Oppo are comparable and priced competitively if you want to buy a local phone to use, instead of installing a Physical Local SIM card in to your existing phone. Please note that to use a US phone here you MUST have a physical SIM card slot in your device.
If your current phone uses Google Fi for cell service, then your cell phone services will bypass the great firewall and have access to unrestricted web traffic. You could then just install a local SIM card to have both services available.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
I have a dog and use pet man for veterinary services. Just be aware that certain parts of the city like specific parks do not allow dogs, and it is not clearly marked. Guards will just ask you to leave politely and it has never been an issue. Pet food can come DPO or be bought locally.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
None or they work within mission as we do not have a bilateral work agreement with the Chinese government.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Not really available unless you want to volunteer with your children’s school stuff.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Casual for out and about, business casual at your company or job.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
None, it is very safe here and I recommend it to everyone.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
We have some days that are bad for air quality but that’s all. The local hospitals are fantastic and United Family Hospital specializes in service for foreigners which is where we go for treatment.
3. 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?
Moderate to bad on some days for sure. We have multiple air purifiers in our apartment.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
That a lot of the cuisine is cooked with seafood, sesame oils and peanuts. So you would want to ask about that prior to ordering if it is a concern.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Not really.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Guangzhou is humid and hot most of the year.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There is an American international school (AISG) and an international British school that are both very good. My oldest goes to AISG and we love it.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
N/A
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Yes, there are many options available for preschool and day care services. Our youngest is in one (M-Kids) and we absolutely love it.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Tons of options, from Karate to gymnastics and more. You will be slightly limited if your child only speaks English however. Some parents drive a 20-30 minuets to get to sports with English-speaking instructors.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Its quite large, there are a lot of other consulates here and local expats to hang out with. The morale is great if you're not an American right now.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Going to some of the local expat bars or restaurants and just meeting people is probably the best way to get introduced to others. There are monthly game and trivia nights hosted by these establishment where you can also meet people.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Great for everyone, it really is what you make of it. There are tons of family things to do, but also a large bar and club scene if that is your thing.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
Yes, as long as you can speak the language and try to engage with them. The locals here are incredibly friendly. I do know of a few instances where African friends have been mistreated however, mostly from wait staff at restaurants.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Kind of, I have a lot of LGBT friends here who are having a good time but to my knowledge there are not large LGBT events that happen and that is probably not going to change anytime soon unfortunately. I do not believe those friends have experienced any criticism for their sexual preference however.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Yes, but I won’t get into it here. It is widely available as a topic for research if you Google it.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The best trip we had so far was to Chimelong Water park in Zhuhai (????????) Its Disneyland, Universal and seaworld all rolled into one place and does not disappoint.
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
The wetlands park, and Chimalong Safari Parks are a must to visit. As well as the rainforest experience and aquarium in the Grandview Mall.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Yes, there are so many cheap and affordable items here that you will leave with much more than you arrived with.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
It is convenient to get around on the subway or by Taxi (DiDi), there are also a large amount of public green spaces for leisure.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Phones and VPNS need to be considered prior to arrival:
VPNs: Astrill VPN | Mullvad VPN | Express VPN | Proton VPN
Due to the Great Firewall of China (GFoC) We have installed multiple VPN apps on all of our devices (tablets, PCs and phones) which we use to access whatever streaming service that we want. I did this instead of setting up a dedicated VPN router.
VPN Routers (RTR): The gold standard here for VPN Routers in China is Astrill, no other VPN Router works as well with Chinese internet that I know of. I have mine installed on an ASUS RTR running MerlinWRT with the Astrill applet installed.
You can set up various VPN Routers to use which will auto connect to whatever end point VPN services it is configured for, but various staff here have had different levels of success with this option when using services other than Astrill. If a VPN router is NOT set up BEFORE you come to China than it will be even more difficult to do here. So, if you decide to use this option then please set the VPN router up before you come, if possible, if this is how you want to run your family’s VPN services. Also, during high profile periods for the local government almost all VPNs will experience stoppages as they ramp up internet restrictions, it will eventually return to normal, but it happens consistently within these periods so fair warning.
Astrill: It is expensive but works most days, you may need to connect to different end points (Hong Kong, Australia, LA, Seattle, etc.) but eventually you will find an exit node that works and allow you to stream whatever service you would like. Astrill is around $200 USD for two years currently.
Mullvad: It is very consistent, but the connection speed is much slower than other options such as Proton VPN or Astrill VPN in my experience. It costs around $60 USD per year, around $6 a month I believe.
Express VPN: Like Mullvad, Express works but is kind of inconsistent with its connections. I believe it is around $80USD per year.
Proton VPN: Proton is very popular, so it has many possible end points to connect to and is one of the main VPN’s I use for streaming. It costs around $110 for 2 years.
I know every family is different and has different needs, so good luck figuring out what works for yours. I highly recommend getting at least one of these VPNs if you have not already as once you have one that can connect to the internet outside of China you can download more if needed. Of note Surf Shark, Nord, and PIA VPNs do not work at all, or if they do will disconnect very quickly and I do not recommend using them here.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes, it’s a great place to live.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
car and inhibitions.
4. But don't forget your:
VPN and cheese.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
Not really, check out walking tours for the city on Youtube for an idea of the city and its sites.
6. Do you have any other comments?
Religion is regulated and worship is restricted with minimal options; there is occasional casual racism for non-Asians and people of color but over all the people of Guangdong are very kind and open.
I have children with blond haired and blue eyes, they are seen as exotic and I specifically had to learn how to say “Do not pet my children” as Aunties will just walk up to your family and take pictures of your kids while trying to touch them. This reads worse than the experience actually is but if you can communicate to them that you don’t like it they immediately stop as it is very normal in local culture to be that expressive with young children.
