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judgedredd
Joined: 16 Sep 2007
Posts: 41
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 Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:28 pm Post subject: What kind of lifestyle can you actually have on 5000 RMB/m? |
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I want to know, because I want to come and teach in China soon.. I will probably find a job at a university, and most of the positions I have inquired about offer in the region of 5000 rmb a month, with free accomodation.
But I am interested to know, how well can one live on that salary? I like to go out a lot, not neccesarily drinking every day but occasionaly is okay, I like dating girls, cinema, eating out, taking taxis quite a lot. I don't stay at home very often.
I haven't decide what city I will go to yet, but it won't be Shanghai or Beijing, but it will be a big city.
So, what to expect? |
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Lorean
Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 476
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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 Depends a lot on the type of girls you like.
Cinemas can be expensive here. Going up to 100 RMB a ticket.
IMO it depends a lot on the type of food you eat. If you can tolerate Chinese food, you can get by on 10-15 RMB a day. If you go out to decent restaurants every day you could spend 30-100 a day on food. Add coffee shops and that's another 30 RMB a day.
Drinking depends on the bar and type of drink. I'm not a big bar-hopper, so I can't remember the exact costs.
If I was living on your salary I would be saving ~2500 RMB a month living comfortably. If I was really trying to save money I could keep up to 4000 RMB a month. |
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judgedredd
Joined: 16 Sep 2007
Posts: 41
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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I like cute girls, good or bad, so long as they don't take the ****
Anyway thanks, you make it sound quite liveable.. I think..
I'm not expecting or hoping to save money, by the way.. |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Lorean wrote: |
If I was living on your salary I would be saving ~2500 RMB a month living comfortably. If I was really trying to save money I could keep up to 4000 RMB a month. |
I disagree.
Most foreigners that I know who make 6000-7000 RMB a month end up saving 1000 RMB a month if they were careful with their money.
If you want to live like a Chinese person, like completely, yes you can live off of 1000 RMB every month.
This means living like the average Chinese person. Say goodbye to treats, McDonald's, KFC, buying any western foods, decent clothes, etc.
Anyone who tells you otherwise, I challenge you to write a monthly list of your expenses, with no embellishments. |
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eslstudies
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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Taxis, while seemingly cheap to a Westerner, soon add up. If you're taking a girl out, she'll expect a decent restaurant as well, not a noodle bar. "Dating" is not as straight forward as in the West either.
If you want to lead a decent social life, 5000 might just be enough in some cities. Good you intend to avoid SH/BJ though!
On the other hand, if you eat school food, buy cheap beer, avoid movies and buy DVDs instead, you'll be able to save a couple of grand a month, but what's the point? China is still good value, so you may as well enjoy yourself. |
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MGreen
Joined: 22 May 2007
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:38 am Post subject: |
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| Great Wall, you're assuming that McDonald's and KFC are real treats. |
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kungfucowboy83
Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 479
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| Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| If you're taking a girl out, she'll expect a decent restaurant as well, not a noodle bar. "Dating" is not as straight forward as in the West either. |
depends on the situation and the girl. find your stay away from the ultra materilistic ones and you should be ok.
is 5000 enough for you? agian it depends. alot on where, in beijing i don't think i could in qingdao i tend to spend 4-5k a month i generally buy what i feel like, eat at a mix of every kind of resturaunt there is from 5 kuai noodles to 5 star hotel buffets. go out to have fun or dinner with my GF around 2-4 times a week. take taxis more than busses. don't drink much but a bar binge can be pricy (last time i went went bar hopping it cost about 800rmb but that included about 18 drinks between me and my GF and a dinner at a french reastuant). stick with beer at a restuant and it'll be about 4 kuai per 750ml bottle. the same kind of beer will cost you 15-30 for a 320ml bottle in a bar.
to be honest you can spend 100 per week if you eat vegitables cooked at home. If you try you could probably do 5000 a week too. I tend to go with a base of 700rmb per week for trasport, food, dvds, normal everyday things + any special things i need like clothes, bills, electroincs, ect. |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:20 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| to be honest you can spend 100 per week if you eat vegitables cooked at home. |
If you start to have problems with your job - this kind of life can become very depressing for the single lonely FT - and even a piece of meat or two thrown in would hardly brighten up a bad China day!!!!
Indeed if the proverbial brown stuff does hit the fan (as we read about week after week in these threads) - then, for many folk, that 5000/month would hardly seem the kind of money that'll feel like good compensation for that time and energy they gave up in the name of their China FT experiences (remember teaching in China isn't exactly the same as traveling a | | |
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