Job Discussion Forums

[therock]

In some backwater small towns its possible to live off 600 - 1000RMB. But the question is why would someone want to? To live like that one would need to eat at the school caferteria for lunch and dinner. There would be no spare change for a beer or two. You would basically have no life.

[General Franco]

[cormac]

Unless you're in a city fairly well visited by westerners most places will be completely Chinese orientated. So you won't have a menu in Chinese and English. And you'll have to figure out by yourself what you want and how much it costs. That can be a bit of a struggle when you first arrive although it gets easier over time.

I've seen a lot of norwalkesl's posts, and I would suggest being careful of them. Personally I feel the budget he describes is only available to those with a good command of the language, and a knowledge of the area. But for those new to China, you will end up paying more initially than most people.

Most likely your school will have a canteen shared between FT's, Chinese staff, and students. Usually, these canteens will be subsidized, and cost quite a bit less than outside the place. Still, its canteen food and rather boring you've tried everything a few times. But very cheap, and extremely useful towards the end of the month when you've spent all your money on drinking and nightclubs. Meals might be 2-3rmb. Drinks the same.

Outside you'll have plenty of choice. There are stalls, little shop areas, larger shop areas, restaurants, and lastly fast food outlets. If you like the Chinese food of your area, then you'll be sorted. Usually you can enjoy yourself in the smaller places, and after a month will have a few favorites to go to. If there are other FT's in the school, they'll introduce you to places which try to emulate western food in a comical manner, and you'll pay more for that. And then there's the fast food joints both western and chinese which are more expensive again.

Prices are going to depend on your region, the "atmosphere" of the place, The actual food types, the level of your Chinese, and who you're with. Frankly, getting prices beforehand doesn't give an accurate guide. Its unlikely without having some awareness from being in china for a while, and some knowledge of Chinese (a few words, numbers etc) that you'll be able to negotiate the same prices. Sure.. the prices are often on the wall as you go in, but if you can't read them, then they don't really apply to you.

On a side note, about beer, it will depend on the bar... and the numbers you can buy in batches. If you buy single bottles you'll pay more. If you buy 12 together, you can get them quite cheap. Same goes with Jack Daniels or other spirits. Just be careful of fake or imitation substances. Check the seals on the bottles beforehand and have a taste with the barman close by. Some places I paid 7rmb for a local beer, other places 15 rmb. It will depend on whether they screw foreigners, if there's a band on, if there's pretty waitresses etc. Lots of factors. My recommendation is find a bar you like, and use that place for drinking. After a while, they'll discount you on price, for two reasons; one because you're an advertisement in yourself to passerby's, and secondly the repeat business. Just remember that almost everything in China can (and should) be negotiated.



I lived on 5k rmb a month with a free apartment. I had no problem with the cost of food, even though I spent quite a bit on the street food late at night after nightclubs. I'd just hand over 20 rmb and hope it was enough. haha.. I spent most of my money on drinks, nightclubs encounters, KTV, theme parks, etc.

So I wouldn't worry too much about the food. Its the cheapest area of living in China.

[cormac]

[mrwslee003]

I would not expect any FT to live "comfortably" on less than 1000 rmb/month. You would be living like the natives if you live on less than
say, 500 rmb per month. If you are a vegetarian and a girl who watches
her figure, etc, etc. I can see that. But most FTs like to have a few beer
once or twice a week and eat out once or twice a week. And I don't feel
that is extravagant or too much. Being FT, I feel, means you don't live
like the natives. Because eating at McDonald's would cost you 20-40 rmb
per meal.

I must mention that beer drinking is the cheapest in China. You can get a
can of local beer for as little as 2 yuan or the tsingdao beer for 4-5 yuan.
Now if you take the imported Heinekin(sp) it may cost you 15rmb in the bar. Then you get the music and atmosphere besides the female companionship, if you so choose.

The bottom line is it is possible to live very frugally in China. The luxury
is the "choice" you have. Where as most of the poor locals have no choice in the matter, even though some will do anything to appear well off
because "face" is important in this old country.

We felt very blessed and fortunate living in Zhejiang, among the locals.
We don't feel we have to NOT tell where we lived. There is no shame in that. Although I don't hold anything against anyone who would not say
where they are living and give a false impression of reality. After all
we are trying to help new FTs here. I feel only the truth would help.

[kukiv]

Living a teaching adventure in China is one thing - but for any thinking human who has the energy and ambition to enjoy life - when the novelty of being a China FT wears off - surely there should be means for alternative daily purpose and pleasures behind that life!!!!!

1000/month = 33RMB/day

33RMB = existence level - even in the cheapest towns

I hope those folk who scrimp and save on 1000RMB - have a very important purpose in wanting to live for such a small sum of money - or love their work to such an extent that that it gives them all the pleasure and purpose they need!!!!!!
On low wages - even saving 2000/3000/month for 10 months of the teaching year - hardly gives you a huge pot of money - especially if you're going to use it outside China!!!!!

[nickpellatt]

I live comfortably on around 500 a week. I could spend much less of course, but even in the tourist town of Yangshuo (where I assume prices are higher) living is cheap.

I buy simple breakfast on the way to school, thats only a few kuai for me, and I have the advantage of eating subsidised meals at school that are simple and cheap. Basically, breakfast and lunch cost less than 10 kuai for me.

Every evening I eat in a nice Chinese restaurant (I dont go a bundle on Western food, pizza, burgers etc) and last night 4 of us shared a meal of chicken, beef, and two vegetable dishes which totalled 80 kuai between us. If I eat alone I expect to pay 30 kuai maximum. This is in a proper restaurant by the way, no plastic tables or childrens sized seats.

I also smoke too much, and buy 3 DVDs a week. Generally this works out at around 60-70 kuai a day, for a lifestyle I am happy and comfortable with.

The money I dont spend during the week, is spent at weekends when I may drink a few beers in local bars, with 600ml bottles running at 7 kuai each. I could spend much less in honesty ... I could drink at home, or eat in cheaper places on occasion, but I dont really want to.

I reckon on budgeting around 2000 kuai a month for daily living ... anything over that is for anything else, be it saving, reckless spending, travel etc. Its definately different for long termers here ... Im not looking to stay in China, get married, raise a family here, and for people in my situation or similar China is still cheap and easy to live in I reckon.

[kukiv]

With regard to the last post, and the general subject of costs - for some, especially the longer you stay in China - it can become more difficult to depend on restaurant meals.
The obvious reasons being -
- unsure about the quality of ingredients and preparation.

- and having the choice of cooking something you really fancy - but might not be part of any restaurant menu.

Nick is lucky that he has a large selection of restaurants - and can switch from the likes of burger, kebab, pizza to more traditional Chinese meals.

However in many other towns with far less variety, normal menus, after a period of time, even for adventurous eaters - can start to become wearisome.
With local spices - the taste of many dishes seem to blend into one another - and some FT's start to get a longing for something different.

So taking jobs with cooking facilities seems a good move - especially for those who enjoy cooking.
Large Supermarkets and local farmer's Markets are interesting places to shop - and although wont save huge amounts of money cooking for yourself - its certainly cheaper to cook western style dishes than it is to buy them in most restaurants.

[DHAPhotography]

I've read this thread and here at the facts with respect to Wuhan, one of the larger cities in China:

Breakfast - 5 yuan (a bowl of noodles and tea or egg/bread mixture)
Lunch - 5 yuan - noodles, dumplings, tofu, etc, etc.
Dinner - 10 yuan for a wonderful vegetable and meat dish, tea, beer, whatever.

That is 20 yuan a day and most days I got away with 15 yuan. I ate at the local vendors and shops outside the university. It was absolutely wonderful food. Plenty of Chinese bar-b-que at the above prices, rice dishes, fried meats, etc.

So, if the fellow who says you can get by for 33 yuan a day, then he's not far off. Mind you, we teachers would congregate and go out to the local full-fledge restaurant and 6 of us would get about 10 dishes and our share would be about 20 yuan each, and we all had several beer. Best of all, no tipping in China.

[SnoopBot]

Stay away from Beijing, it's hard to have a good western lifestyle on less than 5000 RMB a month.

Too many higher end restaurants and shopping places, you must be careful if you only have a teaching salary as a source of income.

Most of the FT's that are long term in Beijing have retirement income or other sources of income along with a Chinese support family (wife)

I'm not saying it cannot be done, but you will watch the other retired FT's going out to western restaurants while you resort to eating those 10-rmb cold noodle plates.

For Beijing I had a car, and a good fitness membership + wife. My expenses were usually around 8000-10,000 RMB a month depending on how much I drove or travelled around. Food was another expense, I usually ate at western style restaurants each weekend for something different.

The good thing about Beijing is it's much cheaper to enjoy yourself in Beijing compared to the States. Here in LA, I need an income of at least 7000 dollars a month to equal the same entertainment/fun value I had in Beijing

[kukiv]

[JZer]

[kukiv]

Well I suppose the concept of pleasurable lies with the taste-buds of the beholder - at my Chinese workplace, at the present time my Computer - I've just had a slice of home-baked Chocolate cake washed down with a mug of Yunnan Coffee - that was pretty pleasurable, not so expensive and after 6 years in China a nice change from anything I could have found out in the street.

JZer - at 40RMB/day restaurants must be cheap in Taiwan - I'm sure a daily restaurant diet on the mainland that included anything as exotic as pizza and spaghetti - would normally cost you far more than that!!!!!
Here, the only way you could eat such variety for such a cheap price is to make it yourself - maybe substituting some imported products with local stuff.

[JZer]

[DHAPhotography]

Kukiv:

Spoken like a true "blanco" on tour in the Middle Kingdom. My final word is that I found the market food to be of great variety from one end to the other, and I'm not talking about the stinky tofu, which I have also grown fond of. When I returned to the Carolina after a year in Wuhan, I was down 15 lbs. (mostly the walking) and my doctor said that I was as fit as he's ever seen me. BTW, I was 53 when I returned. I'm back to Mianyang in a week's time. So, I guess the long term effect of this Chinese food would be anything but deleterious to one's health. Thanks for bringing up that point. Good one.Cheers.