Job Discussion Forums

[ecubyrd]

[theoriginalprankster]

[YAMARI]

20000 was my salary in shanghai, 6000 went to rent and the rest on food, taxis and going out. I wasn't rich on that salary and couldn't afford most bars and restaurants that my friends on better salaries went to. Tier 2 cities offer better financial situations for esl salaries. Couples do ok if they are sharing a flat and both making more than 14000. Anything less than 20000 you will be mainly eating Chinese and not going partying much. expect to pay 3 to 4 months rent up front

[bograt]

You spent 14,000 rmb a month on food and going out? That's 2,200 dollars or 1,400 pounds. 350 quid a week. And you couldn't keep up with your friends? Who were you hanging out with, the Shanghai Bullingdon Club?

[YAMARI]

14000 is only 466 rmb a day. sounds like a lot in most places but in Shanghai half of that can be gone after 4 pints, Then there is meals, taxis, trips, dates, utilities. Step outside the esl world and the expat world in Shanghai is expensive. Brunches, dinners, drinking nights where one round can set you back hundreds.

Most people in most big international cities don't scoff at someone spending 14000 a month and Shanghai is one of the most expensive cities.

[Aristede]

[bograt]

[ecubyrd]

[wangdaning]

[Shanghai Noon]

[YAMARI]

6000 is a very cheap apartment if you live in puxi close to the center. For people reading this thread and moving to Shanghai I answered to let you know that normal people living a normal western standard of living will feel poor in Shanghai on 20000. The ones here who save money on that are staying at home cooking for themselves almost every night.

Shanghai is a very exciting town that pulls you out of your house to share dinners and party. It's a social place.

40000 would be more of a living saving kind of salary despite what the thrifty crowd says.

Some of my friends had rent of 50000 per month. That's just rent.

[Shanghai Noon]

I live in Sanlin subdistrict of Pudong district. It's not Puxi, but it's close to the river. I pay 2650 per month in rent for a one-bedroom apartment. My old boss rented a four-bedroom apartment just outside of Lujiazui for 7,000. If you paid 6,000 for just yourself, I hope it included full-time housekeeping, utilities, parking and hookers.

I have a question. What kind of school did you work at where you made 20,000 per month and still had enough free time to blow through 14,000 on food and booze?

In our home countries, most of us stayed home and cooked for ourselves almost every night. Is that "thrifty"? If so, then fine. I am thrifty.

[Aristede]

[wuliuchiba]

Really? You were spending 466 a day? What were you doing, eating lunch AND dinner at expensive Western restaurants, and then washing dinner down with overpriced drinks at Western pubs every night? Local food in Shanghai is NOT that much more expensive than in other Chinese cities. You can eat well on less than 100 day if you eat in local restaurants, and eat well on half of that if you cook for yourself. The only way to spend 400 a day on basics like food is if you eat all your meals at expensive 5 star restaurants, and who does that?! Yes, booze can be a killer, but still -- a pint is only 45 or so at most joints, and while 10 pints will break your daily budget, the weekend only comes around once a week. Surely you're not boozing it up in the pubs every single night, are you?

It's a bit baffling. Just what are you spending it all on that you can blow through 466 a day? Shanghai girls can be pretty materialistic, so I can sort of see it if you have a girlfriend who insists you pamper her.

[bograt]