Daily life roadmap

SIM + mobile payments → Transport → Canteen and groceries → Weekly budget → Emergencies saved in your phone

Indicative monthly budget (2026)

Estimate for one student excluding university tuition and international travel. Add rent from the Housing & Rent guide.

ItemTier-1 (BJ/SH/SZ)Tier-2 (CD/Xi’an/WH)
Rent (room)2,500–4,500 CNY1,200–2,500 CNY
Canteen + food1,200–2,000 CNY800–1,500 CNY
Transport150–300 CNY100–200 CNY
Phone + data80–150 CNY60–120 CNY
Insurance~67 CNY (800/12)~67 CNY
Misc. (laundry, social)400–800 CNY300–600 CNY
Indicative total4,400–8,000+ CNY2,500–5,000 CNY

Digital payments: Alipay and WeChat Pay

  1. Open a bank account (see Finance guide) with passport and address registration.
  2. Verify identity on Alipay 支付宝 and WeChat 微信 (实名认证) by linking your UnionPay card.
  3. Enable QR payment — scan to pay in shops, canteen, metro (where supported).
  4. Keep a reserve — some services still accept cash, especially in smaller cities.
  • Foreign card linking: some international cards work on Alipay Tour Card / WeChat Pay for Overseas — limits and fees vary; they do not replace a local account for salary and rent.

Phone and internet

  • Operators: China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom.
  • Documents: passport + address registration; some campus student plans.
  • Cost: data plans 80–150 CNY/month with many GB.
  • VPN / foreign apps: many Western apps are unavailable without additional tools — plan offline maps, translators, and contact backups.

Transport

ModeStudent useTip
Metro / busDaily in large citiesTransit card or QR on Alipay; student discount in some cities
DiDi 滴滴Ride-hailingRequires mobile pay; verify licence plate
12306High-speed trainsAccount with passport; book holidays early
Shared bikesLast mileApp deposit (Mobike, HelloBike)
E-scooterCommon but regulatedLocal licence/plate may be required — check your city

Groceries and canteen

  • Campus canteen (食堂): meal 10–25 CNY — cheapest option.
  • Supermarkets: Hema 盒马, Walmart, Carrefour, convenience stores 便利.
  • Delivery: Meituan 美团, Ele.me 饿了么 — convenient; costs add up.
  • Drinking water: many students use campus dispensers or bottled water.

Practical life in an apartment

Laundry, heating, and roommates
  • Washing machine: quick cycles 30–45 min; cheap liquid detergent; air-dry on rack if no dryer.
  • Northern winter: central heating November–March (local dates); windows often sealed.
  • Summer: AC uses a lot of power — agree hours and bill split with roommates.
  • House rules: write cleaning and guest turns on WeChat group.

Culture and everyday safety

  • Documents: carry digital copies of passport and permit; do not leave originals in bars.
  • Phone scams: police or banks do not ask for OTP on WeChat.
  • Air quality: northern winter — FFP2 masks on high AQI days; use AQI apps.
  • Holidays: Lunar New Year — shops closed, trains full; plan travel early.

Useful apps (verify availability in your city)

  • Translation: Pleco, Google Translate (offline pack).
  • Maps: Amap 高德, Baidu Maps 百度.
  • Payments: Alipay, WeChat.
  • Trains: 12306 (often needs Chinese account or counter help).
Golden week

October/January travel impossible — book trains months in advance.

Quick reference

Ultra digital life, fast deliveries, infinite food at every price. Great digital firewall — get used to Baidu Maps, Didi, Meituan.

  • WeChat for everything (messages, payments, mini-apps)
  • Didi for taxi
  • Meituan for food delivery
  • Mandarin simplifies life enormously

Transport

Mobility

Metro extended tier-1. High-speed rail between cities. DiDi, shared bikes.

  • DiDi
  • Gaode Maps
  • 12306 rails

Climate and what to pack

Northern cold dry winter; humid south summer. Shanghai/Guangzhou mold possible.

  • Northern pollution winter mask

Phone and internet

SIM with passport. Campus WiFi. VPN discussed — no illegal advice, check policy. External apps often slow without VPN.

  • WeChat
  • Alipay
  • Baidu Translate

Food and groceries

Good for students

Cheap canteen and street food. Attention allergies — communicate in Chinese if possible.

Habits and settling in

I respect hierarchies. Don't touch head. Original office documents. Limited English off campus.

  • Red envelope culture
  • Festival travel — avoid train tickets
Deep dive (optional)

Go deeper

Key numbers

ServiceNumber / note
Police110
Ambulance / medical emergency120
Fire & rescue119
Road traffic accidents122 — widely used; confirm on your city portal
Maritime / coast emergencies95110 (China Coast Guard—at sea and in coastal areas)
Anti-fraud / telecom scams (many regions)96110 (check local hours)
Municipal non-emergency services12345 in many cities—complaints and guidance; not a substitute for 110/120
Consumer affairsOften routed via 12345 or local SAMR windows—confirm locally

Post & pharmacy

China Post

Parcels and tracked mail.

Pharmacies & hospitals

Bring ID and prescriptions; keep hospital payment receipts.

Go deeper

Driving licence & ID

Exchange rules, international permits, and minimum ages differ widely. Confirm with the national or state motoring authority in China before driving; rental desks usually require licence plus passport or national ID.

Mobile plans & SIM

Compare prepaid vs contract; you will usually need ID and sometimes proof of address. Ask about number portability, fair-use data caps, and EU/international roaming if you travel outside China.

Groceries & food

Mix discount supermarkets with local markets and food-rescue apps where they operate. Check Sunday opening rules and bag/bottle deposit schemes in China—they affect weekly cost.

Official government portal · Official energy efficiency hub

Sources · Last verified: 2026-05

  • China Scholarship Council (official link being updated)
Trusted sources we used for this content

Official PRC portals (English where available) and Eurostat: State Council, the National Immigration Administration, and the State Taxation Administration. Rules change frequently—confirm on the official site.