Job Discussion Forums

[SwimminThruAsia]

Found this on an advert over on the China job board:

Salary
6000 RMB Yuan per month. The same buying power as $6000 in North America

Is this even remotely true? I don't think so.

What do you think? Does 1 yuan really have the same "buying power" in China as 1 dollar would in America/Canada? The school is located in Henan province, if that makes any difference.

[Girl Scout]

It depends on what you buy. If you live like a local, 6000 rmb/month is a lot of money. If you eat at KFC and McDonalds or buy western food every week, 6000 rmb will disappear really fast.

On average a plate of rice or a large bowl of noodles will cost 5 rmb. A large bottle of local beer is 6-8 rmb. At a resturant, an order of vegetables is 8 rmb and a meat dish is between 12 and 20. Going out to the bars is expensive, even by western standards.

Henan is probably the poorest and most underdeveloped provinces in central China. Your money will go further then in the cities, but you can't think of your money in terms of US/Canadian dollars.

[Shan-Shan]

Just ensure that those cheap 5 kuai dishes you gobble down do not cause stomach discomfort: hospital costs can quickly eat up your RMB. Also beware of open man holes, pollution in general, and slippery surfaces. Depending on the school, you might be covered (medically) or expected to depart with thousands of "dollars" should ailments befall you.

[eslstudies]

A few years back when the Aussie dollar was worth around 5Y, we'd fill up a shopping trolley at Carrefour in Shanghai for around 100Y. We worked out that the equivalent trolley in Oz would be around $A100.
So 1Y to $US1 is a bit over the top, but not too far.
Imported goods can quickly change the numbers though.

[Steppenwolf]

Why take such comparisons by Chinese advertisers at face value? It's pointless!

But 6000 yuan is a lot of money in the pockets of a Chinese person just about anywhere, safe, perhaps, Shanghai, Hong Kong.

Then again, the yuan is appreciating and after one year here you might actually make some windfall profits on the back of the yuan's appreciation.

Which might get offset by the tax you stand to pay for income above 4800.

[kev7161]

But let's talk about other things besides food and beer. We've gone over THAT hill more times than I can count. First off, 9 times out of ten, your school is going to cover the cost of living quarters, furnishings, utilities, internet and a couple other "perks". Now, some people will find a school that offers modern, convenient, state-of-the-art kind of housings, others . . . well, let's just say not so modern.

I figure for what I'm getting here right now (housing plus utilities), I could easily pay $1000 back home . . . easily. Now, let's start spending your 6000rmb. Yes, if you buy the expensive western foods then that's going to eat into that amount and, NO, the 1 yuan does NOT have the same buying power as the 1 dollar. But, truth be told, I can get a McD's value meal and throw in a hot banana pie (have you tried these things? WoW!) for about the same and actually less than McD's back home. However, a $3.00 Big Mac meal in the states will not cost you 3 yuan here, no way no how.

What are OTHER things you want to buy? Rent a DVD at Blockbusters for about $3.00 or buy a DVD (illegal copy) for 5 to 10 yuan ( equals about $1.00 or less). In the market for a new MP4 or digital camera or laptop computer? How much would you pay back home for that laptop - - let's be conservative and say $500.00. Here, you may find the equivalent for around 5000rmb (around $600.00).

So, yeah, the spending power of $1.00 pretty much DOESN'T equal the spending power of 1 yuan, unless you live/spend like the locals. But don't forget other niceties you will NEVER find back in the states: one hour full body massage for 40 yuan ($5.00), shampoo, neck and shoulder massage, haircut and another shampoo to wash away those loose hairs for 20 yuan (about $2.50). A bottle of good, pure (?) drinking water is 2 yuan (about 25 cents) or a bottle of Coke for 3 yuan (about 35 cents). Local calls on your cell phone - - well, I don't know, it varies but still cheaper for the most part than in the states. Let's not forget taxi fares, bus or train tickets (except during holidays, but still cheaper than your average Greyhound or Amtrak fares), hiring a cleaning lady for your apartment, local postage fees, dry cleaning bills . . . the list goes on and on. All these daily, take-for-granted services are HUGELY cheaper (even for foreigners, although we tend to get charged more) and . . . get this . . . you don't have to tip every Tom, Harry, or Ming Lei for every g-d thing (unless you want to)!

FINALLY, throw that 1 yuan into a beggar's bowl and you've made his day. Throw a dime into a beggar's cup back home and he's likely to knife you!

[TravellingAround]

The main drawback is savings potential though if you bring it back. The money will go far in China but convert into �'s and it isn't going to get you too much back home...

Comparing 1RMB to $1 is ridiculously over-the-top but they do have a point about going much further in China and on local goods.

[jammish]

As I have said before, I manage to save 7000 RMB per month, which is a very nice sum even when translated into pounds.

As to spending power, well I'm not sure if 6000 RMB has the same spending power as 6000 USD. 6000 USD is about 3200 pounds. If you take that sum and take out the rent of an average 2 bedroom flat in the UK (about 1000 pounds) You are left with 2200 pounds. I think that would go considerably further in the UK than 6000 RMB will in China, even allowing for higher costs in Britain. More to the point, while a beer in England costs 1 pound, and 2 RMB in the shops in China, that beer will be much better quality in England. Considering that costs in the US are much cheaper than Britain, I think it's fair to say that 6000 USD a month will go much further than 6000 RMB in China.

On the other hand, and looking at it more realistically, I think a China salary offers a better standard of living than a lower-end western salary. I was on 1300 pounds a month (after tax) when I was last in London. Take out 1000 pounds for a decent flat and I'm left with 300 quid, which is only 4000 RMB, roughtly. Hmmm...

[TravellingAround]

You are comparing orangles and apples somewhat however jammish. A full-time teacher in the UK would be likely to earn over �20,000 at the least when they start. So there's not much comparing what 6000rmb could buy in China with the UK as obviously a teacher in the UK isn't paid 6000rmb. OK no free accommodation in the west but plenty of other benefits and most likely less hours than (I'm guessing) you teach per week in China. School holidays etc, pension. What's �20k a month in Chinese money? Over 20,000rmb a month easy.

London compared to some backwater in China doesn't work either!

Then again comparing qualified teachers in the west with ESL teachers in China ("degree required? Hell...who knows this week?") is also comparing oranges and applies I guess. Not that there aren't good teachers in China (there are many) but we all know it is open to anyone who can speak English like a native if they know the right people.

You seem to have a good gig going there though Jammish and I'd be in two minds like you whether to give it up and go back.

[eslstudies]

[TravellingAround]

I don't disagree with what you say esl_studies although I was thinking more along the lines of post-compulsory education where playground duties probably won't be required!

However there is no point comparing a job in China with a similar one in the west without taking everything else into account. For example a mortgage back home costs money but at least it is money invested. A free apartment in China can be great but doesn't leave anything.

The life of a ESL teacher for many in China can be very transitory if not careful and leave the teacher without too much to show for it. Jammish is doing well but I have known others who lived a paycheck to paycheck existence and never had anything to show at the end of it. Then again I suppose that could be true for anywhere or any job.

[tofuman]

6000RMB? You can easily live on 1000RMB in Henan. Beer is 2RMB. A nice pair of Levis is 90RMB. DVDs abound for 6RMB. A good lunch is about 10RMB. A good dinner/ lunch for 2 is about 35. Delicious pineapples, peeled and ready to eat can be had for 4-5 RMB.

The questions you should be asking are, "Am I really going to ever see 6000 RMB monthly? Will I get my plane fare back? How many hours a week will I be teaching? Do I have to travel for an hour each way to get to some of my classes?" What kind of place will I be living, a rathole or a decent apartment?

There are some nice people in Henan and some good schools at which to work. But there is a dark side to English teaching here, one that you don't want to experience.

[jammish]

tofuman's post is spot on. A lot of the stuff he mentions is what really counts. If you are on 5000 a month but have a nice flat, have no commute, have a good schedule, etc, that makes it much better than 5000 without those things. Also stuff like - is the local beer good? I know this might sound trivial, but if the local beer is real beer, or an approximation of it, this will make life a lot nicer than if its typical 'water beer'. I can get kingway here for 2.5 RMB which tastes like Heineken, and that is so much better than in loohan where i could get singo for 1.5 RMB but it tasted like beer flavoured water.

Is there a local western restaurant that does western food for reasonable prices? E.g. I have a place here that does decent pizzas for 28 RMB, half the price of Fascist Hut in wuhan.

[james s]

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[eslstudies]