Cons of Living in China as an Expat

Culture Shock in China

While relocating to China may not be too difficult, you may struggle to adjust to the country's unique culture and customs. China may be exhausting for first-time visitors for numerous reasons, including spitting up chicken bones on the floor of a luxury restaurant, daily throat clearing exercise, toilet-training toddlers in public, smoking everywhere, and shouting at the top of one's voice, to obtain a waiter's attention.

It obviously takes time to adjust to new visual cues. The Chinese believe that the rule of law begins at home. The inability to communicate adds a whole new dimension to the experience of cultural disorientation.

Sense of alienation from others and loneliness

Idyllic rural regions are delightful to visit, but life there could be dull and lonely. If you don't have any friends or relatives in the area, starting over in a major city may be quite isolating. Fortunately, there are many of things an expat may do to avoid feeling alone.

Sadness at being away from home and frustrated by web access limits

Despite all of China's benefits, expats may nevertheless experience homesickness. However cheap the foreign flights may be, it is not as if you can just up and go back anytime you like. On the other hand, you probably won't have much spare time between classes to get back home. The supportive communities you built as an expat become invaluable now.

However, internet censorship is widely used in China. Yes, it's unfortunate, but there's no problem that a reliable VPN can't solve. This site will be a good resource for learning about China's internet censorship laws in the long term.

Difficult to Master Language

If you want to make a life in China, you should be ready for a challenging language. Learning a new language is one of the biggest challenges and rewards of living as an expat. It is well-known, however, that immigrants have a hard time grasping the Chinese (Mandarin) spoken in most major urban centers.

In the first place, a native English speaker will encounter the completely foreign and incomprehensible alphabet. Having to deal with a curriculum that sounds just like another one is enough to drive some individuals to give up on school all together. Even Nevertheless, the fact that many Chinese individuals are fluent in English and use basic syntax makes communication much less difficult.

High expenses due to pollution and their continued rise

Even while each is getting better, pollution in China may still be severe. Moreover, this is because urban areas are home to a plethora of industrial firms. Pollution levels are thankfully lower in less densely inhabited areas and the countryside. But prices are going up in China as well, and nobody knows when that trend will end.

Income and Expenditure in China

There is no clear place to begin when discussing the cost of living in China since it is both objective and relative. This is due to the fact that what may be an ideal dwelling for one individual may be a cramped dungeon for another. In addition, there is a wide range of expats and income levels in China, so where you choose to live will be heavily influenced by your own circumstances. This factor also influences the total amount of rent you will be responsible for.

The current cost of visa processing is at least 3,000 RMB, while transportation costs may average 25 RMB and health and fitness requirements are variable. On the other hand, if you want a good education, you may expect to pay more than 6,000 RMB every year. For a more in-depth analysis of what it takes to make a livelihood as an expat in China, see our blog article.