Cost of Living

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connexon

Squeeker

Joined: June 10, 2006
Posts: 15
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline

Posted: June 10, 2006 - 07:11 PM
Post subject: Cost of Living

I find this blog really informative. I am currently working as a Science teacher in an international school in Dongguan, Guangdong, China. I am thinking of moving to Shanghai, because I have a job offer there. I think I will definitely accept it, because I have never been to Shanghai and I think it's a nice city to live in like Hong Kong. I have already been accustomed to living an "Asian meets Western" lifestyle. I can survive on eating greasy Chinese veggies, dumplings, or noodles and drinking bitter tea for days, but I can also have a strong craving for Coca-Cola, American burgers, British fish and chips, Italian pizza and pasta, and Norwegian salmon steak. Aside from enjoying late nights watching pirated DVDs at the comfort of my own bedroom, I would also like to watch movies in a theater and attend cultural shows and the like on occasions. I sometimes drink, but I never smoke. I would like to know how much salary I should be receiving every month so I can live a comfortable and decent lifestyle in Shanghai. The company has quoted a gross monthly salary between RMB 15,000 and 20,000 (in US dollar equivalent) a month. Will this suffice considering that I have to remit at least US$200 back home every month, travel around China during holidays, and would want to save money for the future? I am still single. In addition, the job offer quoted all financial remuneration in US dollars. Should I have it quoted in China Yuan considering that I'm working in China and the fact that the China Yuan is appreciating against the US dollar? It has gone up from 8.27 to 8.01 to a US dollar over the last ten months or so. I think it's going to appreciate further as the 2008 Beijing Olympics draws near.

How much is the cost of living in Shanghai? I know that there is no standard answer to this kind of question as the standard of living is entirely based on many factors, particularly on one's personal gauge and lifestyle. But what are the latest figures on the average salary of workers in Shanghai? Price of common consumer goods? I have seen some quotes in this blog but they're outdated.

Miscellaneous questions: What's the most reliable internet service provider in Shanghai? How much is the monthly service fee? How much does cable TV cost if it's not provided by the company? Gym membership?

oreo

Barker

Joined: Aug 25, 2005
Posts: 159

Status: Offline

Posted: June 14, 2006 - 10:29 PM

It's hard to answer your questions because they're broad. Perhaps you may want to ask how much things cost for a list of things you specifically like to do/buy, and work a budget from there? For instance a movie ticket is about RMB 80.

Gut feeling tells me your salary is more than sufficient. You did not mention what you want to pay for rent but obviously that plays a huge role in disposable income.

Statistically, average salary in Shanghai last year was a little over RMB26K per annum.