Job Discussion Forums

JacobTM · Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 73 Location: New York

Those of you who are living in Shanghai, what are your monthly expenses like, and are you saving any money monthly?

I have more than a year's teaching experience, and a CELTA, so I feel that I should be able to find a job that pays at least 10,000 RMB, and have seen offers up to 13,000.

So what would you spend in a normal month on food, clothes, transport, beer, bud, etc?

Thanks,
Jacob

Zero · Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 1402

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

JacobTM · Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 73 Location: New York

I didn't ask for your moral judgement, I just asked if anyone can help me get my head around prices in Shanghai instead of being too smug to help out.

JacobTM · Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 73 Location: New York

I found this site about prices in Shanghai for 2007. How do these prices compare to today:

Can of coke: 1.2rmb in the supermarket, 5rmb in a restaurant
Bottle of water: 1.5rmb
Beer: 4rmn (tsingtao)
1 br appartment: 1,000-2,000 rmb

Have those prices gone up alot?

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

beer, water and soft drinks are cheap here. As for that rent you posted, I'm sure the average rent where any foreigner would want to live is going to be a lot higher. you might be better off starting an account at Shanghai Stuff.

Most people on that site live in Shanghai and you'll get more info faster. They even have some apartment listings on the site to give you an idea.

Salvatore · Joined: 22 May 2011 Posts: 119

Another siite, which I think is better, is www.shanghaiexpat.com

yaramaz · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 4:58 am Post subject:

Double post.

yaramaz · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 5:14 am Post subject:

Rent-wise, I haven't seen anything for less than 3500-4k in (relatively) central Puxi and 3k in outer Pudong. The Expo last year really pushed up prices. You may be able to get something for less but it may be way out or quite awful 9and I've lived in 3 flats here and done a ton of flat hunting-- I've seen some dire places).

Halapo · Joined: 05 Sep 2009 Posts: 140 Location: Jiangsu, China

Yeah, any rent from 2007 has to be doubled. Possibly tripled.

Food prices are going up, its all most Chinese people talk about after the rising prices of a house/apartment.

I cant say how much bars and taxis have gone up, but if the number was 20% in 2 years I wouldn't be surprised.

Clothes are however much you want to spend vrs search. Most of the time the quality is lacking. As well, it is always a year out of date fashion-wise ( more so for men's clothes)

Drunk in public is not that uncommon, but foreigners get slammed with a double standard, and police are more likely to "help" you home, if only to make it look like they are doing their job in front of the Shanghai people. Nobody even notices when a Chinese person is drunk in public...

Bud will get you removed from the harmonious society of China.