China is the most restricted market in our database, and the rules matter more than the prices. Foreigners can generally buy only one residential unit, only for personal use, and normally only after at least one year of residence on a valid permit.
Renting the property out is generally prohibited, and cities layer their own tests on top — Beijing, for example, may require five consecutive years of local social security and tax payments. Source-of-funds and foreign-exchange checks have tightened considerably. Treat professional local advice as mandatory here, not optional.
Market overview
Prices vary enormously by tier: Shanghai runs roughly ¥52,000–70,600/m² and Beijing from about ¥35,000/m², while a tier-2 city such as Chengdu sits nearer ¥12,100–16,300/m². The figure shown above is a major-city blended average and will overstate tier-2 and tier-3 markets. Gross rental yields are strikingly low — around 1.6% — because prices have long outpaced rents.
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Mortgage rates in China (2026)
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True cost of buying & owning
Get your exact numbers with the Hidden Buying Costs and Annual Ownership Costs calculators.
Step-by-step buying process
Protect your purchase
Once you own it, insure it. Compare the main home-insurance providers operating in China on our Home Insurance by Country page — and see our Home Design & Décor guide for furnishing it.