Base city

Changsha 长沙

Lowest home-price-to-income ratio of any major Chinese city.

Rent

1BR center~¥2,000 (~$280)
1BR outside~¥1,300 (~$180)
Monthly, ex-rent~$500

Why it's cheap

Deliberately loose land-supply policy keeps housing famously cheap; supply exceeded demand by 10–30%.

Climate

Four seasons; hot summers, chilly damp winters.

Visa reset

High-speed rail to Hong Kong West Kowloon (~3h).