Job Discussion Forums

[greenfox]

Here's the deal:

My salary is 5500RMB. I have two choices for my apartment: accept theirs and share with another teacher for free or get a 1000RMB bonus every month to offset an apartment on my own.

The other major factor is that regardless of the decision I make on the apartment, I have 2000RMB in US debt to pay every month.

My question is, will 3500RMB be enough to live on if I take their apartment? And/or, if I get my own, will 4500RMB be enough to live on including rent (I already subtracted the 2000RMB in debt that I owe)?

Any advice from current Wuhan residents?

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

i'm not a wuhan resident but i'll offer some advice anyway.

do you have any employment options other than esl in china?

if you have loans to pay back home and you're only looking at these run of the mill university jobs in china, you'll really be living on a shoestring. if something goes really wrong (illness for one), things can go from bad to worse easily. of course you can add to your regular income with part time work but that's not guaranteed money in the bank every month.

my advice is to find work elsewhere and build up some savings/pay off your loans, then you can come to China and enjoy the place more without having to worry too much about finances.

[RonHex]

1000rmb a month in Wuhan will get you an oldschool apartment with crap furniture, chinese toilet, no lift, may or maynot have AC... really depends what u can live with tho.. I have a buddy that pays 300rmb a month and is pretty happy overall(no furniture, no hot water, the shower is just a hose running off the toilet, no bed)
I pay 1800 now for a nice building in a good part of town, 2bedrooms, dinning room, big livingroom with a couple nice leather sofas, big kitchen, proper toilet/shower, lift, 20th floor with a nice view,AC in everyroom.. It would be hard for me to accept less now, altho in the past I have had some pretty rough places.
As for cost of living in Wuhan... it really depends what type of lifestyle u expect to live.. if you wanna eat 2rmb noodles/simple chinese meals, drink beer on the street, little to no travel, take the bus everywhere, sit at home and watch dvds, ect. u will do fine.. even have enough to treat urself to something nice a couple times a month..
however if you want to go to the club once or twice a week, drink imported beer, eat cheese , take a girl out for a nice meal and go to the movies, travel, ect... u will be a hurting unit.
That said you can always get PT work and double ur income..
then again if any major costs come up.. eg. new phone, clothes, trip back home, medical, new computer, ect... u will be in some deep water

[nickpellatt]

Ive never been to Wuhan, but I have just returned to the UK from Yangshuo (which everyone says is expensive as its touristy) and I can tell you 3500 is more than enough to live on there! I even managed to bring home almost 8000 after a short 5 month stint.

That stint included 3 weeks at only one class a day, and two weeks unpaid during Spring Festival. I didnt miss out on meals, or taking my GF out etc.

Point to remember though, I only did a short term gig, and didnt have additional expenditures that can arise during a long term stay. Oh, I dont eat cheese or drink imported beer either Each to their own but its a no-brainer for me to choose between a 25 rmb 330ml Bud, and a 8 rmb 600 ml local beer. Ditto with food ... Western food is often twice the cost for half the flavour IMO

[kev7161]

Here we go, round and round again. There's "existing" and there's "living a more Chinese-style lifestyle", and then there's "doing whatever the hell you want to and not worry so much about the money angle". Me? I choose the latter. Each poster that advises you is going to have their own opinion based on either a) the current job they have and they tell themselves their doing "alright" or b) some past experience where they thought their income was GREAT! and CHINA IS SO COOL AND CHEAP TO LIVE! . . . until they found out it wasn't.

5500 isn't miserable - - there are some jobs out there that offer less. But there are better paying ones out there as well. I suggest you take a couple of weeks and really shop around on the internet before accepting anything.

[rogerwilco]

My lifestyle is also a "doing whatever the hell you want to and not worry so much about the money angle".
I cannot live like a Chinese and eat 5RMB meals most of the time.
I believe in the saying "you are what you eat", and I do not want to eat crap.
Plus, medical emergencies can be very expensive, and I do not want to be forced to have to accept the cheapest medical care.

I have met many that tell me " I am not here for the money", but after a few months they start to complain about being being able to afford "luxuries" such as cheese

I also advise you to seek out a better paying job.

[nickpellatt]

The OP is asking can he live on 3500 a month..which is around 115 RMB per day. If he was living Chinese and eating 5 RMB meals thrice daily...he would still have around 100 RMB left each day!

I have worked in two places in China now ... Hainan and Yangshuo, and I cant believe anyone single and not a long termer cannot live a very comfortable lifestyle on the disposable income mentioned. Medical costs CAN be high...but this is perhaps less of a concern on a short term visit?

I also belong to the group of people that want to enjoy China life and not worry about the pennies...in my experience, and with my tastes, I would suggest that yes, 3500 is enough disposable income to enjoy life.

Sure there may well be jobs that pay higher salaries...and if you can get them good luck to you. I have always chosen location before salary, and sometimes location does dictate typical salaries. I have been offered 3 times my last salary to work in BJ, but frankly...I would only consider BJ if the salary was in excess of 25k per month.

I dont know salaries in Wuhan, but if the OP is very keen on working in that location, for whatever reason, then I think it is fair to say that yes, one can live on the income mentioned, and enjoy life quite a lot at the same time. 3500 is hardly 'breadline' in China, and doesnt mean eating nothing but noodles in backstreets

[Voldermort]

Of the three categories mentioned I would place myself between the last two. While I refuse to eat 5 RMB noodles I hardly splurge on Cheeses and steaks. I like to treat myself to a good 'western' meal once a week and tend to eat common chinese food on most other days. Also I no longer spend the nights on the town though I do sometimes spend a night out eating BBQ and drinking local beers with friends.

To be perfectly honest, 70% of my money is spent on bottles of fizzy pop, munchies and tobacco.

My wife and I live comfortably on 4000 RMB a month, including my 1000 RMB rent, utlities and whatnot. Though my city is not large, it is not exactly small.

So, OP, 3500 RMB a month is certainly doable in an average city provided you don't get into the mindset that China is cheap and you can afford it. My advice would be to live a frugal life for the first two months. Stay away from places like Bars and McDonalds, try to figure out the local bus system and/or invest in a bike and try not to go sight-seeing. After you have worked out your minimum spending then you will be in a position to treat yourself.

[MisterButtkins]

Threads about proper salary tend to attract a lot of controversy. Consider these two foreign teachers who live in China: