Vol. 04 / 2026Asia · ChinaUpdated May 2026
№ 00 , The City Report

Fushun, the coal and oil city beside the Hun RiverChina · population 1.4 million city · index 6.0 of 10

An independent report on living in Fushun, scored across cost, safety, weather, jobs, healthcare, education, transport, and twelve more axes. No tourism board input. No paid placement.

6.0
Index Score
Fushun, ChinaCover · The City Report
№ 01 , The Quick Take

Fushun in 200 words.

Fushun scored 6.0 on the everycity index in 2026. The headline numbers: a central one bedroom rents at 1,500 RMB a month, the monthly all in cost runs 620 dollars for a single resident, the income tax tops out at 45 percent with the floor at 3 percent, and the safety score is 8.0 on the same 10 point scale we apply to Tokyo, London, and New York.

The case for Fushun runs through the energy and petrochemical employer base, the cost line, and a 45 minute hop to Shenyang. The case against runs through a rust belt economy that has shed population, a fierce winter, and air quality that residents read by the season. The case against, where there is one, is named in section 12. If you want the comparison view instead, start with Changchun vs London or Hong Kong vs Shanghai, then return here for the deep read. The full China country report covers the national context, and Asia places the city on the regional table.

The data feeding this report is drawn from the sources listed at the foot of the page and explained in our 2026 cost of living report and on the methodology page. Numbers are May 2026 unless stated otherwise. Currency is local with a dollar conversion where the original is not the dollar. The index blends 18 weighted inputs, from rent to internet speed, into the single figure in the badge above.

One reading note. This is the long form report. If you only want the headline figure, the city score generator returns the index with custom weights in 30 seconds, the cost converter tells you what your home salary needs to become here, and the relocation score tool grades your current city against this one out of 100. Skim the section eyebrows and jump to the question you came with.

№ 02 , Cost of Living

The monthly arithmetic.

Fourteen line items priced in May 2026 for a single resident in a central one bedroom. Family of four numbers run 2.4 times the single resident figure.

Line item
Cost, single resident, central
Rent, central one bedroom1,500 RMB
1,500 RMB
Rent, suburban two bedroom2,000 RMB
2,000 RMB
Family three bedroom rent3,000 RMB
3,000 RMB
Groceries, single175 dollars
175 dollars
Groceries, family460 dollars
460 dollars
Public transport pass15 dollars
15 dollars
Utilities, average62 dollars
62 dollars
Internet, 300 Mbps12 dollars
12 dollars
Coffee, take away3.20 dollars
3.20 dollars
Beer, supermarket0.95 dollars
0.95 dollars
Beer, bar4.00 dollars
4.00 dollars
Dinner for two, mid13 dollars
13 dollars
Gym membership27 dollars
27 dollars
Mobile phone plan10 dollars
10 dollars

Total monthly all in for a single resident in a central one bedroom: 620 dollars. That puts Fushun in the same cost band as Anshan, Shenyang, and Changchun when normalized to the same May 2026 basis. For the family of four equivalent, multiply by 2.4 and you reach 1488 dollars before private school.

For international transfers and a multi currency account during the move, Wise gives a rate consistently within 0.5 percent of the mid market reading. Booking the first month in a serviced apartment through Booking.com while you find a long term contract is the standard play. The cheapest cities ranking, the cheapest cities for expats ranking, and the cheapest cities in Asia ranking show where this figure sits against the field.

Reader question we get often: how do costs compare on a purchasing power basis. The cost converter takes a salary in your home city and returns the equivalent number here, adjusted for tax and currency. Three quiet costs new residents tend to underestimate: the deposit on the lease, which runs two to three months upfront in this market, the utility connection and setup fees, and the first transit pass and deposit combination. The relocation checklist has the line by line.

The cost of living also moves with the household. A couple sharing the central one bedroom does not double the 620 dollars figure; groceries, utilities, and transport rise far slower than rent. A family of four, by contrast, is driven mostly by the jump to a three bedroom flat at 3,000 RMB a month and by private schooling, which is the single largest variable in the entire budget. The family budget guide models the realistic all in figure across 30 destination cities.

Salary equivalent

What does your salary need to look like in Fushun?

Equivalent in Fushun
$8,267

Adjusted for cost of living, tax position, and currency. Recalculated against a 620 dollars a month baseline.

№ 03 , Safety

A 8.0 read on streets, day and night.

Fushun scored 8.0 overall. The breakdown matters more than the headline.

Overall8.0
Solo female, day8.2
Family with kids8.5
After dark, central7.5

Against the rest of the index, Fushun sits at 8.0 overall. The safest cities ranking places Singapore at 9.5 and Tokyo at 9.4 as the Asian anchors; for comparison London reads 7.4 and New York 7.6. The four categories behind the score are violent crime, property crime, traffic safety, and emergency response time.

The numbers tell the honest story for Fushun. The score is strongest on the 8.5 family reading and the 8.2 solo female daytime reading, and weakest on the 7.5 after dark figure, which is the variable that should drive neighborhood choice. The solo female safety ranking and the family safety ranking show how the city scores on those axes against the field, and the safest cities in Asia ranking sets the wider benchmark.

Practical notes for new residents: carry an international policy from SafetyWing for the first months while local cover is arranged, register with the local authorities within the qualifying window of arrival, and read the full safety methodology on the methodology page before you weight this section against the others.

№ 04 , Weather

The climate in plain numbers.

Dwa humid continental. 84F warm summers, 12F cold snowy winters, a short wet July and August.

The best months to live in Fushun are May, June, September, October. The worst stretch, in our reader survey, was the deep January and February freeze, when the city drops below zero Fahrenheit for weeks. For a city that can match your home weather, the climate match tool is the cleanest start, and the best month to visit tool returns the optimal window for a scouting trip. For seasonal planning, the mild winter ranking and the best weather ranking are the standard cross references.

Climate practical notes for Fushun: the winter is the variable that dominates the budget, so heating, insulation, and building quality should drive the choice of flat, and air quality is a seasonal read worth checking month by month if you have asthma or a young child.

Climate adaptation is the longer conversation. The trend lines for Fushun match its regional pattern, and residents who plan to stay a decade or more should read the climate resilient cities article, which ranks the cities we track on flood, heat, and storm exposure before they commit to buying property.

№ 05 , Jobs and Salary

Who pays, and how much the tax takes back.

Salary medians are May 2026, from Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, and national statistics. Tax figures are from the official revenue authority.

Role, mid level
Median salary
Senior
Mining and petrochemical engineer17,000 dollars
Mid level17,000 dollars
Senior32,000 dollars
Chemical engineer16,000 dollars
Mid level16,000 dollars
Senior30,000 dollars
Software engineer15,000 dollars
Mid level15,000 dollars
Senior28,000 dollars

The economy of Fushun is built on energy and heavy industry. The Fushun Mining Group, which worked the West Open Pit Mine that was once the largest in Asia and still runs the oil shale operations, Sinopec and PetroChina Fushun Petrochemical, Fushun Special Steel, and the aluminum and equipment makers form the employer base, with the Liaoning University of Petrochemical Technology feeding the talent pipeline. The take home math is sensitive to deductions; the tax calculator tool is the cleanest way to run a real offer. For benchmarking, the highest paying cities ranking and the cities for tech jobs ranking cover the field on one chart.

Note on tax: the income tax tops out at 45 percent with the floor at 3 percent. Run your own number, not the headline, because the effective rate after standard deductions lands well below the marginal top. Working culture is its own variable here; the typical professional role expects 40 to 50 hours a week between the published and the practical reading, and negotiating the contract before signing matters more than in most cities.

Career mobility for the relocated worker, particularly the foreign passport holder, is worth pricing in before you sign. The work permit usually ties the foreign worker to the qualifying employer, so a change of job can mean a change of visa. The visa guide 2026 covers the path and the timelines, the spouse visa guide covers the dual income question that two thirds of relocating families underestimate, and the relocation checklist lists the documents recruiters skip.

№ 06 , Neighborhoods

Where to actually live.

Six neighborhoods, each with the rent number and a one line verdict.

Xinfu core
the central commercial district on the south bank of the Hun, most rentals sit here, 1,500 RMB for a one bedroom
Wanghua
the petrochemical district to the west, work close to home, 1,300 RMB for a one bedroom
Shuncheng
the newer residential expansion with modern towers, 1,700 RMB for a one bedroom
Dongzhou
the eastern coal district, cheapest and industrial, 1,100 RMB for a one bedroom
Zhangdang
the suburban south with family housing and space, 1,400 RMB for a one bedroom
Qingyuan gateway
the green eastern county toward the hot springs, quiet and cheap, 1,000 RMB for a one bedroom
Fushun West Open Pit Mine terraces
Fushun central district on the Hun River
Fushun riverside park at dusk
Fushun industrial skyline at evening
Fushun snowy street scene in winter
Fushun forest park on the city edge

The neighborhood scores feed our neighborhood matcher tool, which takes your lifestyle inputs and returns the right area on a 1 to 10 fit. For comparable neighborhood guides elsewhere, see London neighborhoods, Tokyo neighborhoods, and Paris neighborhoods.

For long term rentals beyond the first month, the agent fee at one month plus a deposit of two to three months upfront is the local norm; the Idealista equivalent in this market covers the inventory, and the relocation checklist lists the paperwork. Two rules of thumb the data supports: the second ring out from the center is almost always the best value, cheap enough to feel like a discount and central enough to feel central, and the district directly adjacent to the most expensive one tends to gentrify next.

№ 07 , Healthcare

The system, the cost, the wait.

Healthcare scored 6.4 on a 10 point scale. The methodology weights access, cost, and outcomes equally.

The local system in Fushun runs through Fushun Central Hospital, the Fushun Mining Group General Hospital tied to the industrial base, and a tier of district clinics; for complex care, the expressway and rail put the far larger Shenyang hospital network 45 minutes west, which is the route most residents take for anything beyond the routine.

For new arrivals: pick up an interim international policy from SafetyWing or Cigna Global while residency papers process, then switch to the local system. Double cover is the most common mistake new residents make, and it costs an extra 600 to 1,400 dollars a year. The expat insurance guide covers the trade off, and the expat mental health guide covers the slowest stream in any public system. Families should also read the family safety ranking.

Dental and vision typically sit outside the main coverage. A cleaning runs 35 to 110 dollars at the private clinic tier, a filling more again, an annual eye exam less. For prescription medication, the local pharmacy network usually beats anything you can import, so bring two months of supply and switch to the local equivalent on arrival. Mental health is the slowest public stream, with three to nine month waits for a non urgent appointment that private cover collapses to two to four weeks.

№ 08 , Education and Family

Schools, if you have kids.

The international option, the local option, and the cost of each.

For schools, the international option is thin in this northeastern industrial city; most expatriate families use the bilingual streams locally or board children in Shenyang for the full international curriculum. Bilingual and private fees run 75,000 RMB at the entry tier, which is 10,600 dollars, and 130,000 RMB at the premium tier, which is 18,300 dollars. Local schools that accept foreign children are nominal in cost and vary by district.

The family rating weights school quality, park access, safety, healthcare, and the cost of a three bedroom flat; the family safety ranking has the full table. The relocating with kids guide covers the admissions calendar, which in most markets runs the application window months ahead of the start of the school year, and the family budget guide models the realistic monthly figure for a family of four.

Beyond school, the family experience is shaped by what is free. Public parks, public libraries, public pools, and free museum days are the four amenities that change a family budget the most. For the working couple, day care runs another 300 to 1,200 dollars a month at the private bilingual tier, and for the parent who wants a working level of the local language inside six months, Babbel is the cleanest entry point.

№ 09 , Transport

Walk, ride, or drive.

Walkability 6.5, transit 6.2, bike 6.0. Car needed: No.

Walk6.5
Transit6.2
Bike6.0
Car neededNo

Fushun runs no full metro, but the city operates a tram line and a dense bus network across the linear core along the Hun River, and the terrain is flat enough for the bike in the warm months before the winter pushes everyone indoors. The standout asset is the 45 minute link to Shenyang by expressway and frequent rail. For relocation scouting trips and the first two weeks before a local card arrives, a rental from Discover Cars covers most needs at 40 to 80 dollars a day. Beyond that, the decision to own a car comes down to where your work and home sit on the network.

Airport access is the variable most new residents underweight. Fushun has no major airport of its own; the practical hub is Shenyang Taoxian International, 45 minutes west by expressway or rail, a full national hub with a growing set of international routes. For frequent flyers, connectivity and the cost of a domestic hop matter more than the headline; the best cities for digital nomads ranking tracks the connections that count for the global traveler.

№ 10 , Culture and Cuisine

What makes Fushun itself.

The food signatures, the nightlife rating, the cultural calendar.

Food in Fushun is Dongbei northeastern cooking for the cold, with a Manchu heritage. The suancai pickled cabbage and pork stews, the hand made dumplings, the Manchu hot pot, the grilled skewers, and the hearty stewed dishes that the long winter demands are the signatures. The nightlife scores 5.0 on the 10 point scale, weighted on bar density, late hour transport, and the diversity of the scene; the best cities for nightlife ranking places that in context.

Cultural temperament: the signatures here are the vast terraced canyon of the West Open Pit Mine, a man made gorge that defined the city, the Hetu Ala birthplace of the Qing dynasty a short drive east, the Fushun War Criminals Management Centre museum, and the Yuanshuai Forest Park above the river. Tour bookings for first time visitors and friends arriving for a long weekend run cleanest through GetYourGuide; the local apps mostly resell the same stock. The cities for foodies ranking lists the food capitals on a single chart.

Two underrated reads on cultural fit: how late the city eats, and how the social calendar runs across the working week. Fushun keeps its own rhythm on both, and that one variable changes more about settling in than new arrivals expect. Give it a season before you decide the place does not fit; most readers who left in the first three months later said they judged it too early.

№ 11 , Remote Work

Internet, visas, and where to plug in.

Median internet speed 125 Mbps. Coworking density: 4 spaces. Nomad visa: No.

The remote work rating for Fushun turns on three numbers. The internet median at 125 Mbps, the coworking density at 4 spaces, and the time zone overlap with the major employer hubs. For a privacy layer on local networks and access where restrictions apply, NordVPN is the cleanest option we have tested. The best cities for remote work ranking covers the full table.

For nomads, the visa story is the biggest variable. Mainland China issues no digital nomad visa, and the work visa ties you to a sponsoring employer, so Fushun is a posting for the energy or industrial professional with a local role rather than a base for the location independent worker. The nomad visa guide 2026 tracks the eligibility, the cost, and the tax residency triggers across the cities that now offer one, and the nomad visa cities ranking and the best cities for digital nomads ranking keep the macro view. Watch the 183 day tax residency rule.

On coworking specifically, the density figure of 4 spaces hides a wide quality range. Premium operators charge a clear markup for a hot desk, the mid market option that most residents actually use runs lower for unlimited access plus mail handling, and a strong home fibre line at the speeds above makes a dedicated desk optional for many. The cities for expats ranking tracks how the whole package compares across the field.

№ 12 , The Verdict

Who should move to Fushun, and who should not.

Fushun is the Liaoning posting for the petrochemical operator, the mining and energy engineer, and the budget resident who wants a low cost base with a fast link to a major city. A mining or petrochemical engineer clears 32,000 dollars at the senior tier, a central one bedroom in Xinfu runs 1,500 RMB a month, and the single resident budget lands at 620 dollars. Safety reads 8.0, the tram and bus network cover the linear core, and Shenyang sits 45 minutes away for everything the city itself lacks. The honest trade offs are the ones that come with a northeastern rust belt city. The economy leans on coal, oil shale, and petrochemicals, sectors that have shed jobs and population for two decades, the winter drops below zero Fahrenheit for weeks, the nightlife is quiet, and the international schooling is thin. If your work is in energy, petrochemicals, or heavy industry, Fushun is the value base with Shenyang next door. If you want growth, mild weather, or an international school at the door, Shenyang and Dalian are the short fast answer.

For the comparison view: Changchun vs London, Hong Kong vs Shanghai, Jinan vs Shanghai. For the country read: China country report. For the regional read: Asia.

№ 14 , The Atlas Letter

Get the next Fushun update.

One letter a month. Twelve city updates, three comparison verdicts, the cost of living shifts that move the index. No sponsored content.

Sources, May 2026. Numbeo cost of living index May 2026 · Mercer Cost of Living Survey 2026 · OECD Income Distribution Database 2025 · World Bank Open Data 2025 · Speedtest Global Index April 2026 · EIU Safe Cities Index 2024 · national statistics offices and tax authorities for headline rates · Glassdoor and Levels.fyi for salary medians. First published May 25, 2026. Last updated May 25, 2026.