Job Discussion Forums

[CJD]

4,000 a month including housing would be enough to eat out every day and travel around china a bit.

[Brian O'Nolan]

I've taught in Zibo for the last year, and I'm coming back for another year. I don't think it's miserable by any stretch, but this was my first time in China, so I don't have a great basis for comparison.

Air quality is not good, but this is China and I wouldn't say it's significantly worse than other cities I've been to. I've heard from other foreigners that the air is quite a bit better than it was 5 years ago. I haven't had any problems running or just walking around the city.

I'll agree that there's not a lot to do in Zibo. As far as "foreign" entertainment goes, there's one bar that's popular with expats, a couple cinemas that show movies in English, and, um... The cultural and nightlife opportunities are not close to what you'll find in first-tier cities, so you have to be proactive and search out things to do. I think the expat population is around 40-50.

Basic foreign goods for cooking/etc are readily available in Jusco/RT-Mart. Dedicated foreign grocers or anything like that require a trip to Jinan/Qingdao.

Finding side work is not a problem; I've turned down a few side jobs over the past year, and I wasn't looking. FTs are definitely in demand, perhaps because it's a less desirable location.

5K RMB/month should be plenty for living expenses, and I would guess most FTs can get by for less comfortably.