Feature photo by ernop. Photo above by madiko83.
A closer look at costs of living for those interested in making a move to the most populous nation on Earth.
Once termed the sleeping dragon, China has awoken from the sweet slumber of the depreciated yuan to find a world in financial despair. Though still labeled a third world country, China’s major cities– Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou– have surpassed the US in their creative architecture, enticing jobs, and innovative apartments.
They also offer amazing nightlife, a unique culture, plenty of drinking and dining options, and career opportunities.So, what does it cost to partake in this giant’s emergence?
The cost of living in China has declined in recent months thanks to the burst in the housing bubble. For renters, this is an opportunity, and many expats have renegotiated their rental agreements.
After the Chinese New Year holiday, many Chinese did not return to the urban centers, preferring to wait out the financial crisis in their home provinces. This has left city apartments empty, and landlords are nervous and ready to make deals.
The cost of living in China is dramatically lower than that in the US, Australia, and Western Europe. A nice two bedroom, one bath apartment with wooden floors and marble counters in the kitchen will run around 4,500 RMB a month (about $587.50 USD). Utilities are shockingly low, thanks to the government’s continued subsidy. In the aforementioned apartment, one could expect to pay an additional 300 RMB in utilities per month.
Photo by babasteve.
A cleaning lady visiting once a week will run you about 12 RMB an hour– less than $2 USD. Beijing is slightly cheaper than Shanghai, and Guangzhou is slightly cheaper than Beijing. Hong Kong’s apartments, on the other hand, are comparable to US prices.
The cost of food in China is also very low, should you choose to cook at home rather than dine out. A bag of seven apples, for example, is about 8 RMB, or $1 USD. The price of essential food is controlled in China, keeping this expense manageable.
Should you choose to dine at one of the Western or nicer Asian restaurants in any major city in China, you can expect to pay about $7-8 USD per plate, with another $7-10 USD for alcoholic beverages. Drinking in China is not a cheap pastime, but considering transportation, lodging, and food are cheap, one can afford to splurge on this recreational event.
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Surprisingly, your cost of living will increase should you be ever so slightly picky about your body care products. Shampoo, shaving cream, and other toiletries run about $8-10 USD a bottle.
Buying local supplies is cheaper, but the quality is noticeably lacking. Expect to spend about $20 USD a month on these types of products.
Should you require a doctor or dentist in China, you have two options as an expat or traveler. First, you could attempt to negotiate your way into a local hospital, though authorities will be loath to admit you without a translator.
Second, you could head to an expat clinic, where costs are enormous and the care subpar. If you are lucky enough to get into a Chinese hospital, you will not be disappointed. Doctors are quick and efficient. Chinese cities are dotted with pharmacies where you can self-medicate cheaply.
Photo by decade_null.
Expat insurance is affordable, but used primarily for major medical concerns. In all, prepare to budget between 100-200 RMB a month for healthcare. Chinese medicine stalls throughout major cities provide vitamins and other traditional remedies. You can also visit an acupuncturist or masseuse for under $15 USD per session.
While some international companies are pulling out of China in light of the global recession, a steady stream of available positions remain available for expats in most major cities; these range from executive positions paying six figures, to English teaching, which will cover a more modest lifestyle.
Your cost of living depends upon the type of lifestyle you want to have. The above range is for a lower-middle class income of about 15000 RMB a month, or around $28,000 USD a year.
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For more about the expat experience in China, check out Moonlighting in China and A is for Attitude Adjustment: Learning How to Teach and Live in China.
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16 Comments... join the discussion!
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Hey Lauren, I'm sure this article will be very useful to people out there. Where are you living right now? I'm in Beijing. I'm not able to open your information. Could you PM me your email? Upfront fees are what really kill you when moving here. In some places you have to pay 2 months rent up front as deposit, and then an additional 2-3 months rent up front. Getting settled down can be expensive, especially if you are renting your own apartment. On the other hand, you can find a cheaper apartment. I'm renting one for 3500 RMB / month, but I've found some 2 bedroom apartments that are very nice for 3000. China is as cheap as you want it to be, or as expensive as you want it to be. You can spend most of your money on partying, then eat Chinese food everyday to make up for it. I actually love Chinese food and don't mind eating cheap variations everyday, so I spend about 15RMB per meal (that's what my lunch just cost). In General Lauren is right – 15000 is a pretty good income, although I'm not sure if that is "lower middle class."
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When I moved into my apartment in Dalian, a city in northeast China, my roommates and I paid 4 months' rest at a time. The place had four bedrooms, two bathrooms (one of which had an actual bathtub), hardwood floors, wireless internet, flat screen HDTV, all inclusive furniture- and rent was 5250 RMB a month. Split between four people, and adding in about 150/per person in utilities a month, I paid the equivalent of 215 USD a month. Not bad for a 19 year-old student! I agree that China is as cheap or expensive as you want it to be; I could have easily survived on less than 50 rmb a day but spent tons going out at night, and taking trips around the country at least once a month. Discipline I found was key, by the end of the year I was taking buses everywhere because even cheap spending like taxi fares really start to add up.
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This is a really helpful article, but 15,000 RMB is definitely not lower middle class! That is an upper middle or upper class salary in China. The average college graduate can expect to earn 1,000 RMB a month. Workers like waitresses and cooks earn at most 800 RMB per month. 15,000 RMB a month is far more than many English teachers earned, and more than most professors earned at the university where I worked. It is a very luxurious salary for China. Drinking in China is extremely cheap if you do not go to expat bars–beer, when I was there, was about $0.75 for a 600mL bottle. And you can eat at restaurants, with plenty of beer, for super-cheap if you don't mind Chinese food and navigating the Chinese menu!
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There's such a huge class gap between the eastern Chinese cities and the rural west. Good thing the Chinese Communist Party is made up of capitalists, or there could be trouble. Yikes!
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Tim! For some reason sarcasm is shocking coming from you! I think the Chinese Communist Party does an excellent job of maintaining "communist" policies like extreme censorship and curtailed civil rights while at the same time encouraging the most unbridled and dangerous form of capitalism since the Industrial Revolution! How do they manage it?
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We've got educational travel programs in China for high-school and college students at Where There Be Dragons. There's the China: internship program , the China language Intensive, a rugged program on the Silk Road and a college accredited gap year semester. For info: ” target=”_blank”>” target=”_blank”>http://wheretherebedragons.com/programs.summer.ch...
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"I agree that China is as cheap or expensive as you want it to be" – Great point! There are options beyond Ghuangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai.
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How do they manage it….gosh Sarah, that's a great question.
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Sarah: I think what Lauren meant was that 15000 was lower middle class when comparing to a western standard of living. However I still disagree on that part. It comes out to 26000 USD / year, but 26000 USD in China can buy you about 2x what it buys you in the US. 15000 is solid middle class by US standards.
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Isn't the biggest variable in life style the question of whether you're in Shanghai or someplace in the countryside?
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Happy to read all of your thoughts on the topic. Yes, 15000 is lower-middle income IN the expat community, but definitely upper class in society as a whole here. Because of the elaborate bonus systems in Chinese companies, one can expect at least one to three months of pay as a bonus for the Chinese New Year, which is where the 28k figure comes from. For that, one can live quite comfortably, and Soulglider is right that it buys double the dongxi.
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I know that cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong can be quite expensive but what about cities like Dalian? Where do they rank?
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I think utility bills can vary. I’m living in Shanghai and my electricty bill was really high over the winter. It averaged out at RMB600 for one month. My friends’ also had similar electricity costs as me. Hopefully, my electriciy bill won’t be so bad over the summer.
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Interesting!, a big gap is in the living cost, but for me i am planning to study in China, as a Somalian student this information will be important to my travell. But how Chinese people will treat the foriegners thats very important relating the living in China.
I love Chinese
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It will cost you 1 dollar! lol. You’ll only get this if you’ve been there…
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