You Call this a Flat? – How to Find a Cheap Apartment in Guangzhou

Finding a reasonably-priced, quality apartment in Guangzhou can be mightily complicated. There are plenty of apartment-blocks out there, but that's part of the problem – shopping for the one you want, in the place you want. District-by-district searching sounds at face value like the best idea, but it's not as easy as it sounds since, like many Chinese cities, most Guangzhou districts have exorbitantly-priced condos sitting just blocks away from ageing apartment towers.

How much does it cost to live in the different districts around town?

Although the district search is only partly helpful, it can still give us some idea of where to begin, so let's look at the prices by district for a moment. All the prices below are for 1 bedroom apartments, with some furnishings and appliances, between 35 and 65 m2. Information is taken from http://rent.gz.soufun.com (Chinese language only).

Tianhe, as always, ranks most expensive, with a range usually between 1,600 and 4,000 RMB a month, and an average of 2,600. Some of the more upmarket developments are the International Apartments, Zhujiang New Town and Tianhe Bielu, all generally above 3,000 RMB.

Yuexiu District comes in next, ranging between 1,500 and 4,000 RMB, and averaging at 2,300. Dongshan and Beijinglu are both expensive areas, mostly above 2,500.

In descending order of price, the other districts stack up as follows:

Liwan: 1,500-3,000 RMB. Average: 2,100. Fanciest: Xiguan, Chen Clan Academy, Zhoumen – mostly above 2,200 RMB.

Haizhu: 1,400-3,000 RMB. Average: 2,000 RMB. Fanciest: anything by the riverside – 2,400 RMB and up.

Baiyun: 900-1,800 RMB. Average: 1,300 RMB.

Huangpu: 700-1,300 RMB. Average: 900 RMB.

Luogang: 500-1,500 RMB. Average: 800 RMB.

Panyu: 600-1,800 RMB. Average: 800 RMB. Fanciest: Panyu Country Garden, Star River, Qifuxincun, Southern Olympic Garden – 1,600 and up).

Zengcheng: 650-1,400 RMB. Average: 1,000 RMB. Fanciest: Zengcheng Country Garden – 1,300 RMB. Note: This district is rapidly developing, so price changes may be faster than normal here.

Huadu: 600-1,500 RMB. Average: 800 RMB. Fanciest: Yajule Housing Community – 1,400 RMB.

Nansha: No full price range was listed. Average: 500 RMB. Fanciest: Nanhai Country Garden – 1,100 RMB.

Keep in mind that the apartment price range will be generally narrowing, as older buildings are replaced by new ones. So even when the top prices are not rising, the bottom ones are. Also, in the outer-lying districts, the lower-priced apartments are usually going to be located further from center. There are still a few older villages located centrally, but this is getting rarer and rarer.

And remember that you’ll be expected to pay a (refundable) damage deposit when you move in – typically the equivalent of two month’s rent.

How about finding the best deal for a foreigner?

Agencies can always help, although if you are capable of doing the search yourself, this could save you some money in agent fees. Try to contact the owners directly if you are competent in Chinese or have a friend or spouse who is. Agents can be very helpful, but they are also a gamble. Chinese language will definitely assist you in finding the best deal, but certain owners will not even rent to foreigners. If you do go through an agency, as many foreigners do, a good search of the comments on their webpage can help in deciding whether to use them, as can a recommendation from a friend. Larger agencies with many outlets probably have more experience and respectability, but this really guarantees nothing.