Beijing

Beijing is a high-upside but high-friction move for software engineers. The city itself has real strengths: it is safe, massive, culturally interesting, well connected by public transit, convenient through apps and delivery services, and relatively strong on purchasing power if you have a good package. Residents also point to biking, restaurants, gyms, weekend exploration, nearby mountains, and a sizeable expat scene as reasons Beijing can be genuinely enjoyable.

But the Reddit sentiment around moving there specifically as a foreign software engineer is notably cautious to negative. Commenters repeatedly warn that China does not generally “need” foreign developers for standard SWE roles, because the local market is deep, cheaper, Mandarin-speaking, and often willing to work far longer hours. Many say English teaching or expat packages can be more attractive than local software jobs, while the best tech routes are usually internal transfers, foreign-run startups, specialized AI/research roles, or jobs obtained through strong connections.

Quality of life is also polarizing. Some people love Beijing in a love-hate way, while others find it grey, polluted, crowded, bureaucratic, smoky, politically/security-heavy, and socially isolating. The air is better than it used to be, but pollution remains one of the most common dealbreakers. The Great Firewall is especially relevant for developers and remote workers, with commenters saying it can eventually make normal engineering workflows untenable.

Overall: Beijing can be worth it for someone with a strong, already-secured role and a specific desire to live in China. As a speculative relocation for a normal foreign SWE hoping to find a good local job after arrival, it is one of the tougher major tech-city moves.