Expat Health Insurance
Cigna Global Health Insurance.
Medical insurance specifically designed for expats. With Cigna, you won't have to rely on foreign public health care systems, which may not meet your needs. Cigna allows you to speak to a doctor on demand, for consultations or instant advice, wherever you are in the world. They also offer full cancer care across all levels of cover, and settle the cost of treatments directly with the provider.
Moving Internationally?
International Movers. Get Quotes. Compare Prices.
Sirelo has a network of more than 500 international removal companies that can move your furniture and possessions to your new home. By filling in a form, you’ll get up to 5 quotes from recommended movers. This service is free of charge and will help you select an international moving company that suits your needs and budget.
Get your free no-obligation quotes from select removal companies now!
Good luck and congratulations on taking this big step. It's completely understandable that you have these questions.
While we don't have a guide on Chengdu itself, our China guide would be able to give you quite a few valuable insights. I would also suggest having a look at our Guangzhou guide.
While they are clearly different places, cities like Chengdu and Guangzhou are quite different from Beijing and Shanghai, in that they aren't as Westernised.
Expats are often surprised by the fact that although Chinese are generally as big and industrialised as are commonly thought, the countryside is never too far away - and the Chinese countryside really is beautiful. As an outdoorsy family, there will be plenty to do. Websites like ChinaTour and TravelChinaGuide will be able to fill you in on the specifics - I'd especially check out the Wolong Nature Reserve, which looks absolutely beautiful.
There are also a number of expats in the city - you should be able to find them through blogs and online forums, if not in your daily life once you arrive.
Our China guide starts with Moving to China. To answer some of your questions, pay special attention to these pages:
Hope this helps a bit.
Best of luck!
Xavier
I agree with Xavier that China has a lot to offer both culturally and professionally. In order for you and your family to take full advantage of that experience, you must, however, be ready to adjust culturally. This goes beyond accepting the differences between norms between Asian and Western standards. Food hygiene and safety is also another area your family must be ready to deal with, even in venues frequented with expats (as you would have heard also from the media). This is especially true in tier 2 and 3 cities. It may not be that easy to purchase top of the line air purifier in China, let alone Chengdu. I would suggest that you buy the air purifier in Australia and ship it to China.
Your budget for housing is doable but you may provision another RMB5,000 to be safe. Be ready, psychologically, that the housing standard is far from what you are used to in the West though. If you are the adventurous kind, there are certainly expats who drive in China. For security reasons, I would suggest expats not to unless you have a basic command of the Chinese language especially in case of infraction. Taxis and Metro can be used for intra-city transportation but public buses should be avoided.
All the best.