A bustling street in Muslim Quarter

Xi'an is an affordable and easy city to live in. Visitors can enjoy an inexpensive restaurant meal for about 20 RMB and a mid-range, three-course meal for 60 RMB. Likewise, transportation is fairly inexpensive: a local one-way ticket costs 2.50 RMB, and taxis start around 8.75 RMB. If you're staying for a while, you can invest in a monthly transportation pass, which costs 240 RMB and will take you to all of the top sights in the city.

Residents of Xi'an pay an average of 328.80 RMB for their utilities and 1,825 RMB for apartments in the city center. Those who choose to live outside the city center pay an average of 1,383 RMB for apartments, making this city affordable and attractive to expats and long-term visitors. You can also get a monthly gym membership for about 295 RMB and visit the local cinema for 37-50 RMB.

Learn to make dumplings in a local family

One of the most interesting things to do is visit Xi'an's parks in the morning when local people are out exercising. People gather to do tai chi, or simply make the most of their mornings strolling through the parks and talking to their neighbors. You can join them if you want to immerse yourself in local life. Another popular activity is viewing the Shaanxi Opera, which is a very local experience where you can connect with members of the community.

The Bell Tower will light up at night

While mornings are always busy in Xi'an, the nightlife is popular too. Walking through Xi'an at night is an absolute joy because many of the buildings are fully lit up. You can also visit Xi'an Tang Paradise to get a glimpse into ancient Tang Dynasty culture and enjoy the tapestry of lights that makes up this cultural theme park.

Visit the area around Xi'an City Wall for premium shopping and nightlife, and make sure that you check out the musical fountain near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, which delights visitors and locals with a wonderful lit-up water show once the sun sets. This show runs at 8 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is also in the heart of Xi'an's historical district, so you can always sightsee during the day and enjoy the show at night.

The Muslim Quarter also comes alive at night with several food vendors and stalls opening up and serving local treats to hungry locals and guests.

Cars are running under the City Wall

Xi'an is a convenient and easy place to get around, thanks to 500 different bus lines and several metro lines zipping under the streets. You can also find plenty of taxis to take you to all of Xi'an's top cultural and historic destinations. If you plan on staying for a while, pick up a metro card to save you time at the ticket booth. While the buses and metro lines close around 11 p.m., taxis will run all night long.

You'll also find three train stations, Xi'an Railway Station, Xi'an North Railway Station, and Xi'an South Railway Station, that can take you to different cities throughout the country. Traveling by rail is a convenient and quick way to reach destinations like Shanghai and Beijing.

The Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is just 40 kilometers outside the city and offers both domestic and international flights for your convenience.

Try local food at Muslim Quarter

Xi'an is certainly a food lover's paradise. The top dishes to try here are hot and sour dumplings, grilled meat skewers, and hot oil noodles. Xi'an has plenty of street stalls and vendors throughout the city, but one of the top places to go is the Muslim Quarter. You'll find fantastic specialties like spicy lamb stew and guantang bao, or soup dumplings, here.

Learn about Chinese history in Shaanxi History Museum

Like any world-class city, Xi'an has its fair share of universities and schools catering to locals and expatriates who want to learn more about the language and culture. Xi'an Jiaotong University and Northwestern Polytechnical University are two great examples of internationally acclaimed universities.

The Xi'an Mandarin School offers several months-long courses to help you sharpen your Mandarin skills, and the LTL Mandarin School is another great option for ex-pats looking to assimilate into life in Xi'an.

A glimpse of the life of ancient people Xi'an

Xi'an experiences some natural disasters, including floods and dry spells. The weather can be very hot and muggy during the summer, and winter brings very cold days, too. Therefore, the ideal time to visit are the shoulder seasons of spring and fall. While the weather can get quite hot or cold depending on when you visit, preparing yourself for your travels by bringing layered clothes and good shoes is an excellent way to make the most of your time in the city, whether you're inside or outside.