Life in Beijing vs. Life in Wuxi

Prior moving to Beijing, we lived in Wuxi for 2 years and this is our second year in the capital of China. In this post, I want to share my personal experience by comparing life in these two beautiful cities. 

Weather/Air pollution. Summer in Wuxi is humid and hot, while winter is chilly. Beijing’s summer is quite similar to Wuxi’s; however, winter is windier and colder. In terms of air pollution, Beijing kicks the ass of Wuxi, especially during winter! But people say that situation with air pollution is getting better every year. I hope there will be no air pollution in the near future.  

Travelling opportunities. By living In Wuxi, you can easily go to beautiful cities of China such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, and Hangzhou by high-speed train or explore the third-largest lake in China Taihu lake that is located in there. However, if you want to fly to other countries, in most cases, you will have to go to Shanghai first. I find it very inconvenient. And from Beijing, there are many direct flights to other countries including Kazakhstan. Also, you can discover historical Great Wall that is situated very near Beijing or other beautiful cities of China ;-)
People. I feel like Beijing people are more expat friendly than Wuxi’s. In Wuxi, people might stare at you (especially if you are black) or even follow you, for example, if you are in a grocery store, it would be very interesting for them what is in your cart, etc. You might feel uncomfortable, but if you like attention, this place is for you. Nevertheless, people in both cities are friendly and kind (in my experience).

Public transport. Beijing’s metro is much more convenient than Wuxi’s as they have much more metro lines. But catching a taxi is easier in Wuxi. Wuxi people frequently use a bus to travel around the city than Beijingers.

Apartments. Of course, renting an apartment in Beijing is much more expensive than in Wuxi. For example, in Wuxi, you can rent a big apartment in a nice commute for 3000 RMB. However, in Beijing, the minimum prices for apartments are much higher.  One of my favorite things in my Beijing apartment is central heating during winter. Because in Wuxi, it is quite cold inside during winter so you will have to buy several heaters. Consequently, electricity bills would be a nice amount of money.  

Entertainment. In comparison to Wuxi, Beijing has much more things to do around the city whether you are single or have a family. You will never get bored in Beijing.

Summing up, if you are big city girl you would probably prefer living in Beijing and if not, Wuxi might the better place for you to live. I personally liked exploring both cities but if I had to choose I would probably choose Beijing over Wuxi.     

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