Cost of living 2018 in China

WOW this is an interesting topic because it can really vary from city to city...and even within a city.

I live in the far northeast of China.  In fact most people looking to live in China rarely consider this area because the winters are so harsh.  However, I've lived here 7 years now and I love it.

I live in Jilin Province in the capital city of Changchun.  It's a nice place, but it's not a "hot" spot for the nightlife.  It's a college town of sorts, where most of the cars in China are manufactured and it was at one time the hub of the Chinese movie industry.  If you are looking for things to do and tourist attractions, limited choices for sure.  Mostly younger people go out to the local bars...and there are only a handful of tourist spots which you can see in your first 6 months of living here...provided those first 6 months aren't winter.

The climate is what dictates things here...winters are harsh, it can get to -40F/C (yep at that temp it's the same) the average however is around -20C/-4F and it's not the snow that's bad, its the ice.  In the summer it can get to 35-40C/95-104F but we have low humidity and that makes it bearable.  In fact it's the low humidity that most people have issues with, you either like it or not.  I previously lived in Guangdong Province where the humidity can be 100% most days, hated that.  We have no real spring or fall so to speak but the few weeks of each are nice.

Now all that said here are the good points:

Cost of living here is very low (for foreigners) and that makes life here good.
ALL PRICES IN RMB (conversion rate as of today - Jan. 15, 2018) 6.5 RMB to 1 USD

Rent: average can be 2000, you may find cheaper and for sure can find more expensive rents but a nice 2 bedroom/1 bath apt is around 2000.  I live in a very popular part of town where the housing (apartments) are older but nice, I pay 1900 for 2 bedrooms/1 bath, a small but tidy kitchen and two balcony areas.

Utilities: 30 - 300 RMB it will depend on you.  My apartment complex seems to be under some sort of subsidy program, I use electricity mostly, don't use gas at all and I use the water of course, and I pay about 30 RMB each month for water and electric.  However, gas I'm told is very cheap too.

Food:  That really does depend on you.  I used to shop and cook 7 years ago when I first came here.  I'd spend about 300 RMB per week to buy veggies and chicken and sometimes beef.  Then I discovered I could eat out cheaper and save myself time and money.  I now spend about 150 RMB per week eating out.  Not Junk food either, I have some really nice local dives with local food that is good.  I can get a nice bowl of noodles with a side of fried chicken for 15 RMB.  I can buy a nice breakfast for around 5 RMB, I spend the most on my morning Starbucks coffee at 31-35 RMB for a grande.  To be honest I spend more on my coffee than I do on lunch or dinner.  Like I said it really depends on you.

Chicken breast without skin can run about 20 RMB for a pound (half a kilo).  Beef for stew can be about 50 RMB for a pound (take it home to grind it, just safer).  Lamb is a little higher at 65 RMB per pound for nice stewing meat.  Pork will be the cheaper at around 35 RMB per pound also for stewing meat.  I tend to buy cuts for stewing then bring them home to grind if I want ground meat.

Veggies vary as can fruit, but normally tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and carrots are very cheap.  I can buy a pound of each for around 10 RMB total.  Fruit will depend if its summer or winter and if it's local or not.  Most is not local so the prices are a little higher.  I like pomelo (like a grapefruit) and I pay 35 RMB per pound if it's winter but only 20 RMB if it's summer.  Apples, oranges and bananas will vary but I can 6 of each for around 70 RMB year round. 

Other staples, rice, flour, sugar etc.  The prices will vary but to be honest the best rice in China comes from here.  I rarely buy this stuff anymore because I'm eating out more.

Transportation: well again it will depend on you.  I take buses which are very good here and only cost 1RMB per bus.  I also take the light rail and the new subway...both cost 2 RMB to most locations.  On the rare times I take a taxi the initial fare will be 6 RMB and then it goes up.  Most taxi rides in this city will run between 15-30 RMB.  Most people tend to live close to where they work, so they can walk.

Clothing:  Well that can be a problem because unless you are really tiny most of the clothing in the local shops won't fit.  Even here, the home of Yao Ming...finding larger sizes can be a problem.  I am not by any stretch of the imagination a large person, however back home where I wear a medium t-shirt...here I wear 4XL, it's insane.  Finding shoes is also an issue and jeans you can forget it.  I find that it's easier to buy stuff back in the US and bring it here and it's cheaper if I buy from a thrift store.  When I really need to buy an item, shopping on the internet has proven to be the best option.  I recently bought a early season winter coat and spent 300 RMB on sale...it had been over 500. 

When I lived in the south I had to have my clothes tailor made, it wasn't expensive but it was a pain.  I've just found it easier to shop back home and bring what I need back to China.  Funny most of it's made in China but it's cheaper to buy it outside of China.

Medical:  That can be interesting...medications OTC are pretty cheap. Here is an example; I can buy a Z-pack (OTC, crazy right?) for $10 but back home I can't buy it OTC and it's 10x that price.  Medication here is not expensive for the most part...neither are certain tests, but the trade off can be the quality of the care.  I had an MRI done last year and paid $80, I won't even begin to tell you the cost back in the States or the hoops I'd of had to jump to get that same test done there.  All that said...if you have an existing health issue you may want to do your own research before coming.  I have a teacher who needs a certain medication that he takes daily, but it's NOT permitted to be sold in China, so he has to buy it from Hong Kong and have it shipped to him.  The cost is pretty much equal to what he pays for it in Canada but the fact he can't get it here was a problem. 

These items are the ones I'm asked about most.  I hire foreign teachers to teach English so I stay pretty current with the cost of living here.  Now the other side of things...while it's overall cheaper to live here than in other parts of China and we do have many Western comforts (fast food, movies in English, Starbucks) the salaries are not huge.  The average foreign teacher will make between 10,000 to 15,000 RMB per month, but when you consider your cost of living is around 3000 to 5000 RMB you can still save money.  My smarter teachers can bank around 60,000 RMB per year, that's about 1/2 of their yearly income...try doing that back in the US.

I hope this has been helpful and if anyone out there is interested in teaching in the cold northeast of China message me.  BTW, you must be a NATIVE speaker of English and I can only hire you if you are from the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, NZ or Australia...you also need to have a BA (in anything) and a 120 hr. TEFL certification.  Oh, it helps if you like cold winters.

Outstanding post @Irai.  Your response was outstanding! Indeed, I will try to follow your format. Like you, I have lived in China quite a spell.  I come from the Great Lakes region in the USA, but I do consider Boston my home. The last time that I was in the United States was 2004.

I live in the Southeast of China.  I live on the Chinese side of Macao. It is a ten minute taxi ride to Macao, or I can take a 70 minute ferry boat to Hong Kong, or Shenzhen (The two cities are joined at the hip, don't ya know.)

Location
I live in Guangdong Province in the resort town of Zhuhai. It is a beautiful tourist area.  It is surrounded with tropical beaches, and long shady tree lined roads. However, unlike most tourist areas on the coast, it is not flat.  It is hilly, and the green hills are all filled with walking trails and points of interest. The hills are noted for the nice wind eroded rounded orange color boulders. Most days are sunny with blue skies, and lush green tropical plants. It's like Hawaii or Bora Bora.

Climate
The climate is hot and tropical.  Typically the temperatures are around 33C year round, with a cool dip to 28C in December.  In January and February are the coldest months.  Here it is typically around 15C and you need a heater to stay comfortable. It is near constant humidity and so if you like warm tropics, then the Southern side of China is perfect for you.

Now all that said here are the good points:

Costs
Cost of living here is very low (for foreigners) and that makes life here good. However, it is not as cheap as other places in China. It is a tourist area, after all. Pricing on everything is about 10% higher than in Shenzhen or Guanzhou. ALL PRICES IN RMB (conversion rate as of today - Jan. 15, 2018) 6.5 RMB to 1 USD

Rent
The average rent can be 2000, you may find cheaper and for sure can find more expensive rents but a nice 2 bedroom/1 bath apt is around 2000.  I live in Jida which is the tourist section of Zhuhai.  There is a nice mixture of older and newer apartments. Currently, I pay 3445 for 2 bedrooms/1 bath, it is a 96 m2 apartment and less than five years old. It is surrounded by two parks, and is very quiet. This does not include utilities and building management fees.

Utilities
Utilities will run you 30 – 2000 RMB.  It depends on you, the renter. Typically, my total monthly cost is under 5000 RMB/month for everything.

Food
That really does depend on you.  We typically eat at home during the week.  Groceries run us about 300 RMB/week. On the weekends we always eat out, with breakfasts at Pizzahut or Carol.  Dinners are usually in middle to high end Chinese restaurants.  Each month we blow through 1000 RMB casually.

The prices for groceries seem to be pretty standard.  I can agree with the previous poster on this issue. Chicken breast without skin can run about 20 RMB for a pound (half a kilo).  The cheapest meat is ground pork.  5RMB for a package. Hamburger is outrageously expensive.  We rarely buy it.  If we want to make chili, we use ground pork.  Turkeys do not exist in China, you have to get them online.  However we have seen turkeys wings sold.  The first time my wife saw it, she was scared out of her wits!  “What family will be large enough to eat that monster?!” she exclaimed. (And that was only a wing.)

Again, I will copy what was written by the previous poster.   Can agree with it all. Veggies vary as can fruit, but normally tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and carrots are very cheap.  I can buy a pound of each for around 10 RMB total.  Fruit will depend if its summer or winter and if it's local or not.  Most is not local so the prices are a little higher. 

Transportation
Well again it will depend on you.  We take taxis, that cost around 10 to 15 RMB a ride anywhere in our Jida area. To go to the outskirts of Zhuhai, it will cost around 25 RMB. Busses are too much of a hassle for us in general, however for the ones that take us directly where we need to go the cost is 2 yuan a person. There is no subway…yet. Subways are THE way to travel in China.  In excursions outside of the city we hire a driver.  Costs vary but expect to pay from 600 to 800 RMB for a day trip (four hours over and four hours back). We can rent a car, as I possess a Chinese driver's license.  But I never do it.  Chinese drivers are too crazy for me.

Clothing
Well that can be a problem because unless you are really tiny most of the clothing in the local shops won't fit Americans.  Since I have moved to China my body has adapted to a Chinese diet.  That means that I am still slim (not a American husky whale) but am getting a decidedly Chinese belly.  I attribute it to a diet of white wine and great Chinese beer. I wear a Chinese size XXXL which equals an American size L.

Medical
Unfortunately I know a lot about this subject. Most medicines, including most American prescriptions are OTC!  Yes, you just go to the pharmacy and show them the name of the drug and they will show you the imported version and the Chinese version.  In general, imported American medicines are around 600% to 850% more expensive than their Chinese counterparts.  The Chinese medicines work just fine.  I can say this.

There are herbal remedies also.  They are in a different ballpark.  I have tried them and they do work.  They are better for you and not so harsh.  They are also cheaper, but require active participation in making them and applying them. There are clinics everywhere and if you get a bad cold you can go there and they will give you a medical drip that you can take while lying on a bed. Cost will run you about 5 RMB for the bed plus the cost of the medicine.

Hospital stays; I well know this unfortunately.

•    Brain surgery – 60,000 RMB. Includes 5 operations, 11 CAT scans, and two months in a hospital.  A housemaid, and medications. This was in Shenzhen.
•    Stomach Ulcer – 10,000 RMB. Includes stapling the stomach. Medical treatments and one week in a hospital bed.
•    Gonorrhea – 7,000 RMB with treatments, medicine and one week in the hospital.

All hospital stays were paid in advance and in cash.  You don't need medical insurance in China because the procedures are all reasonably priced.

I hope that this was helpful.

Dear Vannrox:

I came to China in 2007 and lived for the first 3 years in Yangchun which is not that far from Zhuhai.  I liked going to Zhuhai, but preferred going to Zhapo as the beaches there and seafood there seemed much better.  Zhapo is just south of Yangjiang and Yangchun is just north of Yangjiang.  If you blink you could actually miss the town.

It was a pain living in such a small place for three years because there was literally very little Western anything.  You couldn't find butter or cheese at all.  Try baking or making a pizza...it meant a 4 hour trip by train to Guangzhou and then a quick shopping trip to Wal-mart then schlepping back 4 hours just to buy butter and cheese, needless to say I did without.  It was a deciding factor for moving to a larger city where I could have a few creature comforts.

I really hated the humidity too...I can deal with cold and dry versus wet, really hot and humid...not to mention constant mosquitoes which I don't have here. 

I have been in China now 10 years and plan to stay for a lot longer.  I too have my drivers license but like you don't have any desire to drive.  I can get around fine without a car, something I can't do back in the States.  I am from California, which has never had a good transportation system. 

Overall the cost of living in China for a foreigner can be relatively good...it will depend on where you live in China and how much you make.  I find the best value is still working and living in a 2nd or 3rd tier city versus the 1st tier cities.  The cost is cheaper overall even if the salaries are lower, when you consider all the factors you just do better. 

Sorry to hear about your medical issues but again having to deal with medical here sure beats what you'd have to pay back in the States and how long you have to wait to get anything done.  Take care...enjoy the warmth.

Dear Priscilla,

I am afraid that I cannot answer all of your questions, but I will try to answer some of them. My wife and I are in Shenzhen, just round the corner from Hong Kong. Our apartment is a quite old two-bedroomed apartment, in Futian. That is right in the centre of SZ, next to a big park and close to two metro stations. We pay 6500RMB a month, but that is pretty good for central SZ. Shekou tends to be more expensive and some friends of ours have a nice place there, but it ought to be nice for the price they are paying: 12000RMB a month. The metro (MTR) is really cheap, clean and easy to use. From the centre of SZ to Shekou or the airport would be 6 or maybe 7RMB. Excellent value. Eating out is cheap, if you go somewhere Chinese, whereas somewhere like PIzza Hut or a good Turkish restaurant will be a lot more expensive. So you can eat noodles for 15RMB or eat in a proper restaurant for maybe 100RMB for two, with maybe some beer as well. A "foreign" restaurant could easily set you back 200 or 300RMB for two people. Double that if you have some imported wine as well! I do not know anything about cinemas. Buses are about half the price of the MTR and my wife and I hardly ever use taxis.

PLEASE, PLEASE give a plug to my blog, www.bulgariawithnoodles.blogspot.com

Simon Hill

@Iria,

Oh I remember California.  I did live in San Louis Obispo, Auburn and Ridgecrest. I always thought that the "parks" were nothing more than piles of gravel with Christmas trees planted haphazardly.  I never could figure out where all the tax money went, when they dared not put in guardrails on the hillside roads.

I got married to a Chinese gal from Wenzhou.  I've lived in Wenzhou, Shenzhen, and Danguang (TangXia) aside from where I am now. As you can well agree, it's very unlikely that I will ever go back to the States. I am beyond one foot in and one foot out. I eat far better now than I ever did in the States. There it was always hamburger and the cheapest foods, often super hyper processed and the meats all laden with GMO's.

I'm here to stay unless the government or situation determines otherwise. China is my home.  I wish I could say that I am an expert speaker, but I am not. I can get by, but that's about it.

It's great to hear from a fellow expat, especially someone who is from the States, AND who does not fall into the typical expat categories (you do know what I mean).  Have a great year of the dog.  I for one have already purchased my red underwear as I am a dog sign. It's going to be a most interesting year.

@Simon,

Ah yes, you are living very close to where I used to live.  Prices that you are paying for your house is about right. Grand Theater is the central scene for Louhu.

You can get around with the ride-share bikes at around 0 to 2 yuan.  Just download an app and start riding.  Don't be afraid of taxis, if you cannot speak, just show the address on the phone and the driver will take you there.

Shekou used to be a real nice place back around 2001-2002. Then some overseas Chinese came and developed it into "little USA".  Now it looks like a suburb of Chicago, with pricing to boot. Not really worth the visit.  That is unless you don't mind paying 60 RMB for a bottle of beer...

Go out and enjoy some BBQ.  Prices are cheap and the ice cold beer is a real pleasure to drink on hot nights at 3am. The local family restaurants are great.  Two people with all you can drink beer is under 200 RMB.

To get around, make some Chinese friends and let them help you guys out. It will make a world of difference.

Vannrox:

SLO is where I currently call my US address.  I lived in SLO for over 15 years after living just outside LA in the Thousand Oaks area for 12 years.  I began my journey abroad late in life but have no regrets.  Its nice to know there are other expats who are in China for the "right" reasons and I wish the others would find another place to land.

I'm the Foreign Teacher Manager and Director of our College Prep Program for students who are preparing to study abroad.  I'm FT by default...it's not a job I wish on anyone.  I wear the other hat by design...I am proud of the work we do preparing students to go to college outside of China.  My personal goal is to impact China one child at a time.  If you are interested in moving NORTH let me know...also I am always on the lookout for good teachers who want to teach first and then have fun.

Feel free to pass along anyone who is looking for work as an NATIVE English teacher. 

Simon:

Nice to hear about Shenzhen, it's been a few years since I was last there, well 8 to be exact.  I almost took a job there but decided to go north instead.  I had no idea prices had gone so sky-high there...it's nearly as bad as living in Beijing and without the culture to boot.  Not sure why you are in Shenzhen, but if you plan to stay in China I hope you see more of it.  Paying those prices tells me you can't possibly be here as a teacher, LOL.  Good luck to you.

Living in CHINA, the cost is a bit different from country to country,for example,as my country ,living in shanghai,the cost is a bit high.
    For example,if you want to rent a house,the average cost is 4500-5000 yuan RMB,anyway it differ from  different districts and the squares of the house.
AS for buying a house,it may cost 6 millon~7million in average.
   The living cost mya be not so high,if you want tobuy some vegetable,it wil cost you 4~5yuan,the price of the pork may be 20 yuan about.And if you want  to call a taxi, the starting price is 14yuan,then it wil rise by one kilometer with estimated 2.5yuan.If you take a bus,it usually cost 2yuan,the highest price of subway is  8yuan.
That is all about living in shanghai.

Awesome information Irai, thanks for sharing.  --Robert

Hello all,

New here, but an old hat in living in China. Live with my family (2 kids, 2 adults), and I can provide details about Harbin.

Cost

Overall, I find that it is roughly 0.5 - 3k RMB a month on average per person. A lot depends on lifestyle, etc.

Climate

Harbin has a rep for smog and cold. Smog is a little undeserved, but it's average is probably below Beijing's average at this time. Still it peaks at very high levels, which is why it has the reputation. Most summer days are in the PM2.5 range of 18-35, with a winter average of 75. A sandstorm or smogstorm (winter equivalent) will produce levels that shut the city down. Sandstorms usually only last for a few hours fortunately, but some of the winter ones just refuse to go away, lasting a day or two.

Cold climate is offset by the fact that the city has significant amounts of subterranean elements, underground malls are scattered all throughout the city, meaning most locals can, with practice, stay indoors all day.

Rent

This is where the city really shines. Rent is super low here. I have a three bedroom, two bathroom, kitchen, patio, dining room, and living room for 1500/month. We are renting from a 'friend' so the price of rental is probably a little low (maybe 1-200 rmb low), but that definitely beats you southerners.

Utilities

Again, the climate really saves you here. Utilities are cheap, dangerously so, if you are careful with your money. Run A/C in the summer, washer AND dryer, dishwasher, cpu loading, etc and you will peak at about 500 rmb/month.

Manage your power consumption, turn of lights, water heater, etc and you will find you spend about 100 rmb/month for utilities.

Heat is the only oddball, city manages heat utilities for the winter load. The time around the beginning and the end of the winter season will get a little cold indoors (10-16C) for a week or two. Heat kicks in, and the internal temperature can spike at 45C if you want it (locals seem to prefer it like a sweat lodge). The total cost is about 2000 for our big apartment, and that covers a 'six month' heating period. Some landlords will include that in the rental agreement.

Food

We live in China's breadbasket, growing a significant amount of produce for the country. Organic food is fairly available, and with a little practice reliable 8 to 10 months of the year. That is more expensive, but it is definitely cheaper than what it would go for in the south. About 200 to 300 a week, delivered to your door, and that feeds a family of four. So 1200 a month, for some amazing produce.

Want to buy from a local store? 200 a month for a family of four would suffice.

Transportation

The locals like to joke that their bus drivers 'have a reputation', and I would say that it is somewhat well deserved. Through any weather condition, they stay fairly close to their schedule.

Buses here are like clockwork, and cheap (1 rmb fixed rate). Subway is also available, but in a very limited fashion. More lines are being built, very modern, but I don't know what it runs at to ride, because I just don't have a convenient line to use yet.

Clothing

Clothing size isn't a problem here. Locals are all 'tall' by Chinese standards, 180cm is normal height here.

Quality is the main concern here. Honestly, this is one of the big problems. I tend to prefer to hold off on buying clothes until I can hop over to S. Korea (duty free shopping capital of the north), which is fairly convenient and affordable in a semi-annual fashion.

So either it is 'too' cheap, or it is 'too' expensive/impractical.

Shopping

Gonna branch out and hit on a side note here. Shopping is very diverse here (underground malls, remember...), and you can usually find amazing deals (10-20% cheaper than standard prices) for foreign goods. Only way to get them, is if you can pass yourself off as a local, and like to bargain. I seriously recommend bargaining in an underground street market/mall to everyone

Medical

OTC medicine is cheap and available in quantity here. Insurance is a waste of money, as hospital visits are very cheap here. Good service can be provided if you have connections in the community. Again the problem is that there are almost no foreigners here, and locals tend to assume you are worth billions if you are white. So they try to swindle you. Hence the connections aspect. Annoying, but easily worked around.

@Vannrox - 60,000 for brain surgery! Couldn't believe that number, a person I know had brain surgery go for 110,000, but I know that it was a very 'delicate' operation. Almost experimental, so I guess that's possible

At the other medical expense, they look about the same. Plastic surgery is super cheap here. Couple hundred rmb for an eye job. Think this is because the S. Koreans are crazy obsessed with appearance. There might be a market for them to come here to get it done cheaply and reliably.

Housekeeping

Gonna add this in as an edit. Housekeeping is also readily available, especially with the low local values. Cleaning can run you 400 a month for weekly turnover service (extremely thorough). A cook will run a little higher at about 500 a month for 15 meals a week. These numbers assume my current lifestyle, and don't reflect a 'single' persons needs. A full-time housekeeper and cook can cost you about 2-3k a month.

Dear Taldarus:

Nice post...I love Harbin.  I try to visit at least once or twice a year, but not in winter...too cold.  However, the Ice Festival is a must see at least one time.  What do you do there for work??  Your cost of living seems to be even cheaper than mine, and I live really cheap.

The only thing I would add is while you can hire a housekeeper or cook, you need to be careful and be sure they can be trusted.  It's not unusual for foreigners to be "targeted" for thefts and often it was the housekeeper or other "help" that set them up.  Make sure the person you hire comes highly recommended and has a very good reputation.  One of my foreign teachers was set-up and woke up to find her front door open, and her valuables gone.  Another piece of advice, change the locks on your apartment once you move in, it's a good investment.

Great info thanks...

LRai

Lrai,

My housekeeper is hired via a temp agency (58 - Although we call them the Swan agency). My wife is also a Chinese national, so scam's tend to not happen. Would definitely only recommend people get staff through an agency, and I would suspect that prices for that down south are... significant. This is why I included it.

Never hire someone and let them into your apartment without a lot of care. I put my foot down on that when we first got to China. My wife didn't understand how badly Foreigner's get targeted. After a while in China, she commented that she was glad I had insisted on getting a working contract via an agency. Had about 5 to 8 staff members, and never the one problem with them. Even when they didn't know about my wife.

I also live in a gated community with alerts about criminal activity. A guy was inspecting the contents of cars outside the community and was caught on camera, an alert came out within 8 hours of the incident. Reminding people in the community to not leave valuables outside the gates.



As to why it's cheap here. It's really cold outside right now. Supply and Demand.

Dear Taldarus:

I know how cold you are...I live just south of you in Changchun...I too live in the far north east.  I used to live in Guangdong but moved north 7 years ago.  I have been in China for 10 years.  Are you teaching?

Lrai,

Used to teach, but now I have moved on. I still teach but that is not my day-day obligation anymore.

To best answer this question, I'll primarily talk about the place I live, Zhuhai, located beside Macau in Guangdong province.  I live in the northern part of the city, and probably the cheapest part of the city. 

Lets start with rent.  Rent can vary from as cheap as 600 a month up to 4000 + a month.  The lower option is going to get you a small one room efficiency with a squatter toilet.  Though that does come with A/C.  The higher option will get you a very nice 2 story house with lots of rooms, a yard, and everything you'd expect.  I pay 2000 a month and get a decent two bedroom apartment in a gated community.  Honestly, Its fine, but I wished I had more time to shop, as after seeing what some other people got for much lower, I feel like I missed out on some deals.  I'm also quite frugal and a bachelor.  I've also lived in Qingdao, and rent was comparable there, although houses were harder to find and much more expensive. 

For food, I generally eat out.  My apartment doesn't have a stove, though it did come with an electric heater.  Western food will be 30 + per meal, while Chinese food varies from as low as 10 to much more expensive for fine dining.  I probably spend a lot more on food and entertainment then most, because I do enjoy going to bars at least once a week.  I probably spend close to 700-800 on food + entertainment per week, but you could easily cut that close to 200-300 if you were frugal. 

Transportation is quite cheap.  The buses are 2-3 yuan, but I generally bike.  Actually, thats one really good thing about Zhuhai is it's a very bike friendly city.  Not all cities in China are bike friendly.  I didn't really Qingdao to be bike friendly.  My university has shuttle buses from my subdivision to the university.  Of course those are free.  There is also a high speed rail located in three different places in the city.  Prices to Guangzhou are about 70 rmb, or to go downtown I believe it's 10 or 15. 

Actually my biggest expense is visiting my girlfriend in Hong Kong.  That requires I take the ferry twice a month, that comes out to 320 roundtrip, and then the expense of Hong Kong itself. 

If you'd like to see video of where I live, search ChinaVlogs on youtube.  I have some videos of myself biking around the northern part of the city.  Cheers

Shanghai is pretty expensive... Been here for many years.

Downtown Rent: share room in downtown at least 2500-3000rmb/ month. Average is RMB 3500/ month per room, in a good apartment.
One bedroom apt / studio: in some old houses u can get something for rmb 3500-4500.
average RMB 7000/month for a decent complex, and near metro.
Two bedroom: at least 9000-10,000/month. Average 12-14000/month.
Of curse nice complex... new building.. gated community etc.. will cost even more!

If your metro station is 1h ride out of downtown, price will be cheaper. However do not expect to pay a fraction of above rents. 

I eat 99% out. Chinese food in downtown at least rmb 50-60. Western food at least 60-70 for set lunch. Western dinner: 150rmb at least.
Of course u can always eat at McDonalds / KFC & Burger King if u like; and those prices is basically all the same around China.

Saturday night with dinner + drinks will cost anywhere from RMB 300 to 500-600. It depends a lot what u eat and how much u drink. 

Taxi: One of the most expensive in China. short ride day time: 20-30rmb. Evening short ride: 40-50.
If u live outside... and want to take a taxi at night be ready to pay rmb 100-150.
Didi (like Uber) will cost a bit less.
If u leave in downtown u can always take metro or bus.... very convenient.

Buy apartment in Shanghai? I consider myself a sort of an expert on this matter.
Downtown: any building than has less than 20 years, will cost u lot at least RMB 60,000/m2. Most apatment in Shanghai goes for rmb 80-90,000/m2.
Example: 100m2 will go for RMB 8,000,000 (= Eur. 1mil = USD 1.2mil).

Nice area like the bund, the Nanjng West road, Huaihai road price is 100,000rmb/m2.

So for something decent, you start at USD 1,000,000... and maybe just 1bedroom.

Giuseppe:

WOW I knew Shanghai cost more but those prices make me grateful that I live where it's really affordable.  If I had to pay that much for everything I may as well stay in the US!  The best part of living in China is that it's affordable...otherwise I could stay put and not have to deal with some of the other issues that crop up when you live abroad.

Not sure what you do in Shanghai but let me guess, you are most likely NOT a teacher...LOL 

Yeah. One of the best things about China is that it is cheap. Expats should not need to pay more than 1/3 of their salary in housing. When I was in Boston, I paid 50% of my salary on Rent.

That is independent on what you do for a living. Teachers making 6K/month should be able to live in a 2K/month apartment quite comfortably.

If you are paying more than that, you will need to consider other places to live. I am a big fan of third tier cities.

Vannrox:  AMEN!!! 

Generic Comment:

I have even lived in really small cities, and while it can be difficult communicating at times, it was never impossible.  China is a diverse place and if you are flexible then living in China can be affordable and fun.  If you are not flexible, don't do it.  China doesn't adapt to you...rather you adapt to it.

When I tell people back in the US I can live for $500 a month they are usually shocked,  You can't even feed yourself in the US for $500 a month let alone support yourself.  However, China is NOT for everyone...please don't come to China if you are not open to change and flexible.

I have been reading all the posts and I want to say thank you to everyone. I received an offer to work in ningbo for 3 yrs.
Salary wise the company is offering 60K/month after tax and they will provide education allowance at 120k/yr. We Are a family of 5.

Am slightly worried that education might cost much more than the allowance. What do you guys suggest when it comes to school in general ?

Also, I will have to pay health insurance for the family, how expensive would that be ?

Thx in advance

jofromdetroit:

Okay I am not from Ningbo but the costs are slightly higher there than where I live.  It's a good gig if you can get 60K here in China.  If you are from the US you pay NO taxes on the income from China as long as you don't have income also from the US.  You need a good CPA to run that by.  Also, make sure your Chinese employer does your taxes here correctly...you are exempt or at least they can deduct many items to bring down your taxes on income.  You need to make sure they don't over tax it.  If your kids go to a private school here that can be rather costly, 100K per year per child in some cases...you need to look around.  You can sometimes get a waiver to put your child into the public school system...up to you.  If your kids are able to be home schooled you may opt for that.  As for health insurance, hmmm good question, I have been here for 10 years and I don't carry health insurance in the US or here.  I find paying medical here to be cheap and out of pocket works best.  I did an MRI last year and the cost was about $85 (USD) so you can see it's not bad.  However, you have kids so you may want to ask others to be safe. 

If you want you can send me a private message and I may be able to give you more details.

LRai

Thanks Irai for your response.

Thank you for the advice on the CPA. I definitely need to hire someone to do my taxes next year.

As for home schooling, are you suggesting hiring someone to homeschool the kids ?

Could you provide an estimate on groceries. We are 5. I currently spend approx 300 usd every week here in the us.

Any advice that you can give so I can make this adventure a very good one.

Thank you in advance.

Jofromdetroit:

Okay my guess is that you are parents and 3 kids?  Ages of kids?  Whichever parent is staying home with the kids can get school material to bring with for lessons.  It will depend on ages and how you want to go about it.  There are also on-line schools that work with home-schools so your kids can get a proper education.  I'm going to guess you are from Michigan?  If so then you need to check with your state to see what home school options are available that your state will accept.  Then get in touch with those people and get further info.

As for groceries...that will depend on what you like to eat.  (See above) it will also depend on what you want to shop.  I shop in Chinese markets and spend very little, but if I want something western I will pay more.  I am only feeding me...and I don't eat much...but a family of 5 and if any are teenagers...well that can make a difference.  Also I can't speak to costs in Ningbo.  Someone from there would be better equipped to answer this.

Good luck.

LRai

60k RMB/month is not that much to feed  5 people the way you do back home plus some entertainment/short getaways and so on.
It's probably a bad idea without allowances for housing and health insurance.

Grocery:
I pay 2-3x for imported diary and steaks, ops, I forgot the same applies to my favorite crackers... let's not start talking about quality garments and shoes   
Ningbo has a handful of grocery stores with good cold chain and imported section.

In my humble opinion, there are no great benefits  from moving all the way from home  and not being able to keep similar lifestyle and save at least half of the cash salary.

60,000 RMB/month and you are worried? Is this a joke?

Click bait won't buy you much on this website I am afraid.

Let me explain.

I have a house cleaner with two kids and she also supports her sisters two children. She makes about 2000 RMB/month. That is four hungry children and their schooling all for under 2000/month.

I would suggest that you stay in the USA and raise your children using the conventions that you are accustomed to. China has nothing for you.

VANNROX wrote:

60,000 RMB/month and you are worried? Is this a joke?

Click bait won't buy you much on this website I am afraid.

Let me explain.

I have a house cleaner with two kids and she also supports her sisters two children. She makes about 2000 RMB/month. That is four hungry children and their schooling all for under 2000/month.

I would suggest that you stay in the USA and raise your children using the conventions that you are accustomed to. China has nothing for you.

I did not mean to offend anyone with my salary or brag about it and if I dit offend you am sorry.

I have been offered a job and am trying to figure out if it makes sense or not from a financial point of view. I also want my family to have a wonderful experience in China . With all due respect, do I want to live like your employee: absolutely not. May be after 3 yrs, I will see the world completely differently.

Jofromdetroit:

Don't be offended....I think Vannrox is just trying to make a point...once you have lived abroad you will see the world in a different way or not...LOL

I have teachers who never really adapt.  They insist on living the high life and that will be costly.  If you can adapt and learn how to live here then you will find that you can make a small income go far.  Vannrox has been here a while, I have too and I think it's a matter of perspective.

I have chosen to remain in China because I see what I do as being of value to my students.  I can impact their lives and maybe even have a small ripple affect on their future and then some.  I find living here to be fine.  It's often even a little better than what I had back home and after 10 years, I really don't miss a lot of things anymore.  The first few years it was hard, but soon you learn to adapt and surprisingly you can even begin to thrive.

I have a friend from NZ and she raised 4 kids here.  All her kids are now back in NZ (college) and starting new jobs.  All her kids at some point would like to come back to China, but for now NZ can offer more...they're young.  She and her husband however remain here.  On the plus side, her kids went to an "American" school here and got a great education.  All of them went to college in NZ (cheaper) and they are all finding jobs because they can all speak "fluent" Chinese...not a bad skill to have these days.

In the end only you can decide what will be best for you and your family.  I will suggest one thing...maybe you should come without the family for a short time.  See how you do and then bring them for a summer trip...then if you feel this is a good idea make the plunge.  Put a toe in before you jump since you have them to consider.

LRai

Hi All,

I've been in China for almost 2 weeks now and yes I agree with the fact that you adjust to China and not it to you.

I'm teaching and I believe you can live on 6000RMB a month you just have to be willing to adapt and forgo the "back home" mentality about things.
China is awesome for helping one see that luxuries are a waste of money and time (even though there's well off people in China) its not worth it. Remember when you move to a new country or state you are walking into its environment and you have to make that work.

Come visit for a bit and see for yourself before you make the long term decision. Should you decide to stay it will be an enriching experience for you and your family.

Good luck

@Jofromdetroit
You may consider moving  to China and leave your family back home. 60K/month plus sponsored flat and insurance are great for a single person or a small family with pre-school 1-2 kids.
I came across this guy who did the above, he would fly to the States over Xmas & NY and spend a significant time at a burgers joint. His family would fly over during summer spend part of it in Shanghai and 2-3 weeks somewhere in south Asia, Thailand, Cambodia and so on. It's important to clarify the annual leave part!
He'd also use his elder's brother F150 for a Costco run on last day and take advantage of 2x 45pounds plus carry on allowance.

Good luck!

that is a ridiculous amount of money to earn a month, if you don't think you can live on that , you don't deserve to be earning that. this is the most jumped up ludicrous thing i've seen posted in here. where are you earning that? i want a job where you are....

I definitely want to go and live this new chapter. My concerns may not be justified and I will find out very soon.

We have decided that I would go to ningbo for the first 6 months and the family will follow in the new year.

I work in self driving cars and the Chinese OEM are not afraid to pay foreign experts 😉.

I'll post later on how am doing.

Dear Jofromdetroit:

Don't let the comments from some others bother you.  Most of the foreigners here work as teachers and most of us will never earn that much money here in China.  So when you say you will make 60K and get 120K for a benefit that is huge to us, when the average pay for a foreign teacher of English is around 12-15K, and we work our butts off.

What everyone needs to keep in mind is this; China hires more than just English teachers and some of the foreigners here do make outlandish sums of money for being experts.  China pays well if you are an expert in your field.  A teacher with a PhD and who has been published widely, and isn't teaching English can make over 100K (RMB) for a semester of teaching.  That is not the norm but it happens.

I live where the auto industry is centered and many German companies are here, their foreign staff earns a good German wage here in China!  There are good jobs here, but they require you have the education and expertise.

BTW Jo, you should check out Changchun, we have many car companies here that would pay you well and the cost of living is low.

LRai