The home of Tsingtao beer, Qingdao is located in the southeast part of Shandong Province. It’s a beautiful seaside city with clear air and enchanting sea view. Bordered by the Yellow Sea on two sides, the city has the largest bathing beach in Asia and is an important port for international trade. Until 1949, it was a colony of Germany and Japan, and therefore has beautiful colonial European architecture and is sometimes known as the Switzerland of the Orient!
There is a huge foreign population in Qingdao given its importance for trade and shipping, and many foreigners visit every year as tourists. Summer is beautiful in Qingdao, with miles of beautiful beaches, state-of-the-art sailing facilities, municipal parks and a great mountain resort located near by. Most of the fun is in or around Shì’nán district (市南区), the strip of land along the sea.
Check out our Available Jobs in Qingdao.
The essential guide to getting involved in Qingdao is the redSTAR magazine and website – they host monthly events, an ideal way to meet other teachers and ex-pats.
Weather wise, the seasons echo that in the UK, with a high of around 28 degree in August and a low of 2 degrees in January.
Cost of living Qingdao
| Item | CNY/RMB | GBP £ | USD $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at Chinese Restaurant | 17.50 | 2.04 | 2.59 |
| Meal at Higher End or Western Restaurant | 50.00 | 5.90 | 9.75 |
| Draught Beer (0.5 Litre) | 4.00 | 0.42 | 0.69 |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 Litre Bottle) | 3.66 | 0.43 | 0.53 |
| Water (0.33 Litre Bottle) | 2.31 | 0.27 | 0.33 |
| Regular Milk (1 Litre) | 16.93 | 1.98 | 2.46 |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread | 6.12 | 0.85 | 1.10 |
| White Rice (1kg) | 2.72 | 0.30 | 0.52 |
| Skinless Chicken Breast (1kg) | 6.80 | 0.70 | 1.12 |
| One Way Public Transport Ticket | 1.00 | 0.13 | 0.20 |
| Monthly Pass (Unlimited Trips) | 100.00 | 11.82 | 14.97 |
| Taxi Start | 9.00 | 1.10 | 1.65 |
| Taxi After 1km | 3.00 | 0.35 | 0.44 |
| Taxi 1 Hour Inner City Journey | 30.00 | 3.50 | 4.36 |
| Monthly Utility Bills | 436.73 | 50.97 | 63.44 |
| Cinema Ticket (Western Release) | 60.00 | 7.00 | 8.72 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Monthly Rent (City Centre) | 3,350.00 | 350.00 | 390.00 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Monthly Rent (City Centre) | 7,100.00 | 730.00 | 770.00 |
