Confirmed on its own website
Cost of Living inXiamen, Fujian, China
Fujian, China4.6MUpper middle incomeRemote-work friendly
Image credit: Jay Huang from Pleasanton, USA
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Your money goes 2.0x further
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). China: $25,067/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 69% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Overall
3.3x further
Prices are 69% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
11x further
Prices are 91% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
2.8x further
Prices are 64% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
4.7x further
Prices are 79% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Income Category
Upper Middle
World Bank GNI
GDP per Capita
$25,067
PPP, International $
City Population
4.6M
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost β the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
This describes China as a whole. Enrollment rules and school quality can vary within the country, so check with schools in Xiamen, Fujian.
Quality
Good public schools
Expat access
Legally possible, hard in practice
hardInstruction
Mandarin
Local-language fluency usually matters.
PISA / outcomes
Qualitative only
Using curated quality notes for now.
Why this quality rating
China's public system is academically strong, but the standard local-school path is not designed around short-horizon expat families.
Why the expat-access rating looks like this
Resident enrollment is sometimes possible, but hukou or local assignment practices and Mandarin-medium instruction make the public route hard in practice.
π« Homeschooling
Homeschooling not legalChina's Compulsory Education Law requires all children to attend school. Homeschooling is illegal and the law is enforced. Some underground homeschooling communities exist but face legal risk.
Homeschool legality in China β check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
1 confirmed school
2 more suggested by AI, not verified
Typical fee
$25,250/yr
one school's published fee
- IB1
Schools' websites are found with Wikidata and OpenStreetMap (Β© OpenStreetMap contributors), and each is checked on the school's own site.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$725-$1,000
monthly Β· confidence 0.65
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$1,300-$1,750
monthly Β· confidence 0.65
Source: curated family relocation research
Getting Around
The concrete mobility picture for Xiamen: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Walkability score: 71/100 (transit supported). This is derived from the verified mobility profile and is used by the walkability gate.
Walkability
71/100
mobility profile transit backbone
Airport
International airport
Xiamen keeps practical domestic and regional international air coverage, which is strong for a coastal secondary metro with regular family travel demand.
Urban transit
Metro, commuter rail, and bus
metrocommuter railbus
Xiamen Metro, cross-bay rail links, and buses give the urban core a practical transit backbone without forcing every family trip into a car or taxi.
Rideshare
Taxi and app-hailed rides
Taxi-hailing and app-booked rides are a practical complement for airport trips, ferry connections, and lower-frequency coastal routes.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in China.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
41 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 7 months ago
Healthcare system
StrongHigh national coverage, strong doctor availability, and solid hospital-bed capacity support this rating.
Public care
StrongBroad public coverage, country-level outcomes are comparatively strong, and a visible public hospital footprint support this rating.
Private care
LimitedThe private footprint is not very visible yet and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
85/100
2023
Physicians
3.11/1k
2022
Hospital beds
5.63/1k
2023
Out of pocket
32%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
78.0 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
16/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
2.6/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedThere is visible specialty depth and country-level outcomes are comparatively strong help, but the private footprint is still thin and price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce and few facilities expose web pages we can verify weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Hospital: 28Pharmacy: 7Clinic: 3Doctor: 2Dentist: 1
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in China yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
ε侨倧ε¦ζ ‘ε»ι’
Hospital Β· Emergency
ε¦ι¨δΈε»ι’εεΊ
Hospital Β· Emergency
δ»εΎ·ε»ι’δ½ι’ι¨
Hospital Β· Emergency
ε¦ι¨ζ΅·ζ²§ηε±±ε£θ
ι¨θ―ι¨
Hospital Β· Emergency
dental_oral_maxillo_facial_surgery
ζ΅·εε»ι’
Hospital Β· Emergency
桷沧ε»ι’
Hospital Β· Emergency
System metrics: World Bank WDI Β· Updated 2026-11-01
Safety & Governance
City-level perceived-crime data is not sourced for Xiamen, Fujian yet. Showing China national safety and governance signals until a matched city row lands.
Street Safety
Safety Index49/100
Crime Index51/100
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
Political Stability-0.30
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Agriculture & Farming | β |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | β |
| Construction | β |
| Education | β |
| Finance & Insurance | β |
| Healthcare & Social Work | β |
| Hospitality & Food Service | β |
| Information & Technology | β |
| Manufacturing | β |
| Mining & Quarrying | β |
| Other Services | β |
| Professional & Scientific Services | β |
| Real Estate | β |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | β |
| Transport & Logistics | β |
| Utilities | β |
2022 annual wages in Xiamen, Fujian, China Β· Source: NBS (province-adjusted)
Price Comparison vs. US
big mac
$3.97Estimated36% cheaper
bread 500g
$1.62Estimated52% cheaper
budget hotel
$186.85Survey-verified415% more
childcare preschool
$717.20Estimated54% cheaper
eggs dozen
$2.02Estimated58% cheaper
gasoline liter
$1.22Estimated18% more
inexpensive meal
$5.41Estimated74% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$17.50Estimated74% cheaper
iphone
$1099.00Estimated10% more
luxury hotel
$186.85Survey-verified61% cheaper
milk liter
$1.93Estimated58% more
monthly pass
$28.16Estimated59% cheaper
rent 1br
$565.48Estimated69% cheaper
rent 3br
$1198.63Estimated62% cheaper
taxi km
$0.32Estimated83% cheaper
utilities basic
$82.15Estimated62% cheaper
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
evisa
US passport holders need advance travel authorization or a visa before entry.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page β no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Xiamen compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.0x further in Xiamen than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for China here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Xiamen cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Xiamen is cheaper overall than New York City β overall living costs are about 69% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Xiamen. We are using the country-level cost index for China here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Xiamen compare with New York City?
Rent in Xiamen is about 91% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for China here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Xiamen?
Groceries in Xiamen are about 64% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 79% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for China here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Xiamen, Fujian
Xiamen is a coastal city in Fujian province on China's southeast coast, directly opposite Taiwan and historically one of the country's first treaty ports. It is consistently ranked among the most liveable Chinese cities by domestic surveys, with a milder subtropical climate than the lower Yangtze, lower density than the megacities, and an island-based historic core on Gulangyu. For relocators it functions as a more humane alternative to Shanghai or Guangzhou: cost of living well below tier-one, strong educational infrastructure, and a notable Hokkien and Southeast Asian cultural overlap. The foreign community is small but stable, English is limited outside universities and corporate zones, and typhoon season is a genuine annual planning factor.
Subtropical climate with warm summers and mild wintersExcellent internet quality and speedsGrowing expat community with international schools and social networksHighly walkable island neighborhoods with scenic waterfront areasWorld-class food scene blending local seafood and regional Chinese cuisinesModern nightlife with international bars and beach clubsWell-established coworking scene with multiple modern facilitiesVery safe city with low crime rates
π
See the full breakdown β free
20,748members624joined this month
or
No password needed. Takes ~30 seconds.
More cities in China
Cities with a similar cost of living
Comparable to Xiamen β worth a look if you're weighing alternatives.