🇨🇳 Living · China

Xiamen

Cost of living, housing, transport and neighborhoods in Xiamen.

Fujian · Asia ·UTC+8
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MediumCost
★★★★☆Safety
LimitedEnglish
CNY ¥Currency
5,300,000Population

City Overview

Xiamen is a coastal SEZ in Fujian and a garden city — mild, beautiful, with Gulangyu Island a World Heritage site. The pace is relaxed with a strong cafe and creative-culture scene; tourism thrives, and it faces Taiwan across the strait. Housing is pricey but livability is outstanding; electronics and foreign trade are strong.

Cost of Living Snapshot

1BR Apartment ¥3500–7000/mo (center); ¥2000–4000/mo (outer ring)
Dining Out ¥15–30 (eatery/snacks); ¥50–120 (restaurant)
Monthly Transport Metro ~¥140–280/mo; DiDi starts ~¥11–15
Monthly Groceries ¥900–2000/mo (supermarket)
USD Reference: Approx. USD 520–1,030/mo (1BR centre)· at 2026-07-21 FX rates
Full Cost of Living Report →

Source: RichBay editorial estimate — indicative, not guaranteed Estimate baseline: 2026-06-19 · Actual costs vary by location, timing, and personal lifestyle.

Getting Around

A multi-line metro links the island and mainland; e-Tong card for metro/bus/BRT (an elevated bus-rapid-transit feature). HSR to Fuzhou/Shenzhen. Gaoqi International Airport, with the new Xiang’an airport under construction.

Housing & Neighborhoods

City Center Siming (island core/old town)
City Center Huli (island/software park)
Quiet & Residential Jimei (universities/livable)
Budget-Friendly Haicang/Xiang’an (mainland value)

Why Live Here

  • A garden city; Gulangyu World Heritage
  • Relaxed pace; creative and cafe culture
  • An SEZ; electronics and foreign trade
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Frequently asked questions

How are the cost figures estimated?

Cost figures are RichBay editorial estimates of typical rent, food and transport, normalised to USD — indicative, not guaranteed. Verify locally before relying on them.

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