Cost of Living in China for International Students, in PKR

Going by the universities' own figures, a single student in China spends roughly CNY 1,500 to 3,200 a month in Wuhan (about Rs 62 thousand to 1.3 lakh), CNY 3,450 to 4,550 a month in Shenzhen (about Rs 1.4 to 1.9 lakh), and about CNY 4,600 a month in Beijing (about Rs 1.9 lakh). That is before tuition. The Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) pays a monthly stipend of CNY 2,500 for bachelor's, CNY 3,000 for master's and CNY 3,500 for PhD students (about Rs 1 lakh, Rs 1.25 lakh and Rs 1.45 lakh), on top of free tuition, insurance and a free dormitory place or housing subsidy.

This guide turns those figures into rupees so a Pakistani family can see what a month really costs, then sets the CSC stipend against them to show what is left or short. We read every figure on 30 October 2026 on university, HEC and Chinese visa centre pages. Several Chinese university pages don't show the date their figures were set, and we say so where that is the case. Costs and rules change, so the official pages are always the final word.

The exchange rate we used

Every rupee figure here uses CNY 1 = Rs 41.5, the mid-market rate shown by Wise on 30 October 2026 (Rs 41.53), and US$1 = Rs 277 for the one figure given in dollars (Wise, Rs 276.9). Banks and exchange companies in Pakistan sell yuan at a higher rate than mid-market, and the rate moves every day. If the rupee weakens, every rupee figure below goes up. Older pages, including our own country guide, used a lower rate, so recheck before you transfer money, or use our cost calculator.

What a month costs in Beijing

Peking University's fees page gives reference costs of living in Beijing for an academic year. The page shows no date. We have turned its yearly figures into months:

The total is our own sum. Peking University's accommodation page says its rooms cost CNY 180 to 220 per person per day, depending on the room, which is CNY 5,400 to 6,600 for a 30-day month (Rs 2.2 to 2.7 lakh). Rent is the biggest cost in Beijing, and it is the cost a CSC scholar does not pay, because the scholarship gives a free dormitory place or a housing subsidy.

Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan

Shanghai. Fudan University's dormitory page gives long-term rates per person per night at its Handan campus: CNY 80 for a double room in the main building (about CNY 2,400 a month, Rs 1 lakh), CNY 120 for a single (about CNY 3,600, Rs 1.5 lakh), and CNY 65 for a single in its affiliated buildings (about CNY 1,950, Rs 81 thousand). The page shows no date. It gives no figures for food or transport.

Shenzhen. Peking University's Shenzhen campus lists the fullest monthly budget we found on its costs and scholarships page, which also shows no date:

The same page adds CNY 300 a term for books and supplies (Rs 12 thousand) and a one-off CNY 2,000 for things for your room (Rs 83 thousand). The totals are our own sums.

Wuhan. Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) gives its rates on its fee policy page: a double room at CNY 700 a month per person (Rs 29 thousand), a single at CNY 1,200 (Rs 50 thousand), with water, electricity and internet billed separately, and living costs of CNY 800 to 2,000 a month (Rs 33 to 83 thousand). That makes about CNY 1,500 to 3,200 a month with the room (Rs 62 thousand to 1.3 lakh), or CNY 18,000 to 38,400 a year (Rs 7.5 to 15.9 lakh). HUST's page carries a 2013 copyright line and no other date, so ask the university for this year's rates before you rely on them.

Health insurance and tuition

Universities ask every international student to hold Chinese medical insurance. Tsinghua University, China University of Geosciences and HUST all give the standard policy as CNY 800 a year (Rs 33 thousand). CSC scholars have it paid for them.

Tuition comes on top for self-funded students. As one example, HUST's fee page lists English-taught programmes in science, engineering, economics and management at CNY 28,000 to 30,000 a year for a bachelor's (Rs 11.6 to 12.5 lakh), CNY 38,000 for a master's (Rs 15.8 lakh) and CNY 50,000 for a PhD (Rs 20.8 lakh), with an application fee of CNY 600 or US$100. Fees differ a lot between universities and subjects, and our Study in China guide gives typical ranges. Look up the exact fee for your programme on the university's own page.

What the visa centre asks you to show

The Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Karachi, on its X1 visa page dated 24 August 2026, asks a self-funded student for proof of funds of US$2,500 per academic year or the same in rupees (about Rs 6.9 lakh), and says the closing balance should be enough to cover the whole period of study. A scholarship letter is the other way to show you can pay. The page also says X1 visa holders must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of arriving.

Two things follow for a family. First, US$2,500 is a visa figure, not a budget: it is about CNY 16,700, which is less than a third of Peking University's yearly estimate for Beijing. Second, a CSC award letter does the job of the bank statement. This is a summary of the visa centre's page, not immigration advice; the visa centre and the Chinese embassy are the final word.

How far the CSC stipend goes

The CSC stipend rates on the Tsinghua and China University of Geosciences pages are CNY 2,500, 3,000 and 3,500 a month. They have not changed since September 2014, when Peking University's notice announced them. Because a CSC scholar gets a free dorm place and insurance, we set the stipend against the costs other than rent:

"Left" is what remains after the universities' estimates; it is not a promise of savings, and spending depends on the student. Read the table with these points in mind:

• What CSC pays. HEC's financial coverage page for the Type A route lists full tuition, a free university dormitory or accommodation subsidy, health insurance and a monthly stipend under the Chinese Government Scholarship policy. It says travel is to be borne by the awardee, so the family pays the flight. The Chinese Government Scholarship page on our site has the eligibility and documents.
• When the next call opens. HEC's CSC page still shows the 2026-27 round (75 seats, closed on 5 January 2026). No 2027-28 call was up when we checked. Our HAT test article explains the test scores HEC asked for last time.
• A housing subsidy instead of a room. If the university gives a subsidy rather than a dorm place, the stipend has to stretch further, because outside rent in Beijing or Shanghai can cost more than the whole stipend. Ask the university which it gives before you accept.
• Schwarzman Scholars. The Schwarzman Scholars master's at Tsinghua in Beijing pays tuition, room and board, travel, health insurance and a personal stipend, so a family's own costs are small. It is highly competitive and for one year only.
• Master's and PhD applicants usually need a supervisor's acceptance, so start with our email to a professor for the CSC scholarship.

Can part-time work fill the gap?

Families should not count on it. The Beijing government's residence permit page says a student who wants a work-study job or an off-campus internship needs an approval letter from the university and a letter or agreement from the employer, and applies in person at an exit-entry office to have the residence permit endorsed for it. Other cities have their own rules, set out in our Study in China guide. This is a summary of an official page, not immigration advice. Plan a budget that works on the stipend or on family money alone.

Your next step

Pick two or three universities, open each one's fees and accommodation pages, and put their figures and today's exchange rate into our cost calculator, so the whole family sees the yearly total in rupees. If you are applying for the CSC through HEC, watch HEC's page for the 2027-28 call and keep your HAT or USAT score current. Applying for the CSC is free on the official HEC and CSC portals. Never pay an agent who promises a "guaranteed" CSC seat or admission; our guide to avoiding scholarship scams explains the warning signs. Check each figure on the official page before you count on it. This page is general information, not financial advice.