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xeno
Newbie
Joined: Nov 24, 2008
Posts: 6
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Nov 24, 2008 - 01:50 AM |
 
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| Post subject: The same old questions |
Hey, I'm currently checking out moving to shanghai in february, but have run into a possible hic-up to do with my salary.
I've been offered a job paying 8000RMB/month for 20 hours work a week, which is good for me. But my girlfriend has been offered a job of 8000RMB/month to work full time.
Her family is chinese, and seem to think that 8000 is the bare minimum that you can live off in Shanghai. I've been there a few times, and I thought 8000 is ok, especially if we're splitting rent etc.
Please be aware that I don't need a fancy apartment, just somewhere clean, and I'm not interested in having the latest this or that, I don't shop for clothes very often unless I need them. I'm a photographer, so I spend most of my time outside and normally take my own drinks with me. Home is just somewhere to relax and edit photos, I don't need a palace  .
The questions I need to know the answers for:
is allowing 1000RMB/month for rent enough?(1 bedroom place, living room + kitchen bathroom etc). We don't want to live downtown, but closer to the city the better. Whats the realistic cost of something like this?
A taxi across the city is how much? (i know to the airport is around 150), lets say from Nanjing xi lu --> Pudong.
Is a combined salary of 16000RMB/month enough to live fairly comfortably, whilst saving a fair amount? How much would I realistically save?
Again about the salary, we are both pretty fresh graduates with 12 months working experience, so I feel anything up to 10,000RMB/month is a pretty fair deal.
Thanks so much for any help with this! |
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teezy123
Barker
Joined: Mar 21, 2008
Posts: 191
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 02:18 AM |
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you will struggle on 8000. As this is your GF, you should go into this with the 8000 rmb not 16k rmb mentality. she could just say forget it and move with her parents...then how are you going to come up with rent???
i am also a fairly recent graduate, but i have my own business not working for anyone but my clients... my apartment rent is 5500/m for 2 bedroom 110 sq m place near zhongshanpark area. a popular area that isnt in the city center perse, but still just a 10 min taxi ride away.
1000 rmb is not realistic unless you want to take a serious cut in your quality of life standards. also on 8k rmb dont expect to be able to participate in many social activities particularly those with westerners. it can get very expensive.
you will have to take the bus/metro everywhere. otherwise you will run out of money. so forget about taxis. pudong is a big ass area, so your taxi question isnt specific enough. dont expect to eat out anywhere nice except for a couple times a month and it will probably be hotpot.
saving will be unlikely...
i think you need at least 15k to be comfortable. let me emphasize the DONT DEPEND ON YOUR GF FOR THIS. she will probably be giving much of her 8k to her parents anyways. |
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xeno
Newbie
Joined: Nov 24, 2008
Posts: 6
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 02:26 AM |
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Her parents live in London, which is where we both currently live and work. The usual chinese cultural aspects don't apply.
Last time i worked in China I was only on 4000RMB a month and found it to be ok, although this was in Hangzhou, I spent alot of time in Shanghai and didn't find it to be much more expensive. I have a bonus in that I don't drink, so I won't be wasting 500RMB on a night out with the boys. Infact I pretty much spend my time exercising, doing photography and studying. |
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Renovator
SuperStar
Joined: Apr 18, 2007
Posts: 1430
Location: Century Park & MA,USA
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 02:32 AM |
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average local salary in Shanghai still about rmb 3500 per month so you should be able to do fine with your level of expectations. Pudong is huge so taxi from Nanjing xi lu to Pudong will vary greatly depending on destination in Pudong. Najing xi lu to lets say Century Park station in Pudong by Subway is rmb 4 and only rmb 2 by bus so you can save quite a bit of money and time by taking public transportation or a combination of public transportation and taxi. Combination of Taxi/Public transportation should be able to get you pretty much wherever you want to go for less than rmb 25.
Shared apartment in your price range will be hard to find probably need at least 50% more there. Food and clothing can be really inexpensive in Shanghai.
When looking at rent, don't forget your other expenses. Utilities, Phone, broadband, etc.
Don't let the hic-up bother you as you will still be able to pick up some extra rmb doing odd jobs as you will only be working part time. |
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Danzeth
Talker
Joined: Jan 21, 2008
Posts: 101
Location: Shanghai / SF
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Nov 24, 2008 - 08:50 AM |
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8000 RMB/mo will be enough in Shanghai if you give up being a photographer. |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 19241
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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Nov 24, 2008 - 09:45 AM |
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^ the average salary at 3500 is only fine if you happen to be living wit the rest of your family in a 50sm place. Lets face it, you will run into requirements beyond that of a regular local that you will need to be able to save for (ie- air tickets home for family issues etc...) Yes, you can live on 8000 a month, but 1000 a month for rent is on the low side. What you do not spend on rent you WILL on heating your place in winter and cooling it in summer. |
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andyfff
Rocker
Joined: July 03, 2005
Posts: 718
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 10:07 AM |
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Yu888 is right. Living on that will be next to impossible. An air ticket home will be one month's salary! It is do-able, but why not get a job that pays a little higher? (8K for an English teacher sounds kind of low, go to CraigsList and check it out.) |
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Renovator
SuperStar
Joined: Apr 18, 2007
Posts: 1430
Location: Century Park & MA,USA
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 10:19 AM |
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| xeno wrote: |
Last time i worked in China I was only on 4000RMB a month and found it to be ok, although this was in Hangzhou, I spent alot of time in Shanghai and didn't find it to be much more expensive. |
If he has lived in China on 4000RMB in the past, don't know how long ago but can't be that long due to his age (recent graduate as he puts it), then I would think 8000RMB part time even in Shanghai will get him by on at least a similar standard of living as he was used to before in China, probably better, and still has the possibility of picking up more RMB with additional part time jobs.
As fresh graduates, most of us learned to live on next to nothing for a while and had a lot of fun until we had to make more to support families, etc. |
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leavingthisdump
Lurker
Joined: Aug 29, 2008
Posts: 27
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 10:21 AM |
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also, it's the mentallity. If your GF's family perceive 8000 to be the 'bare minimum' then that's telling me it won't be enough.
don't get me wrong, i'm not saying she is materialistic and all that, but i've known chinese frineds from Uni who were happy to slum it in the UK, but once back in China it was all about face and perception again. |
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leavingthisdump
Lurker
Joined: Aug 29, 2008
Posts: 27
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 10:23 AM |
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then again, 20hrs a week leaves you with a lot of freetime! will your contract allow you to do freelance work? |
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computersolutions
Veejay
Joined: July 02, 2006
Posts: 2049
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 01:15 PM |
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8000 is plenty to live on here, assuming you've lived here before, and know where to eat etc.
1000 for housing is a little low.
You can find places for that here downtown still, but 3k is more realistic for a clean minimum for housing for a 2 bed / small living room place. Budget about +500 for winter months for electricity heating costs.
You can also get extra work as a photographer doing events stuff. Tons of work around for that, although it pays terrible. You will get out and meet people that way though, so its good for business.
Good luck! |
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Robtcb
Reacher
Joined: Nov 15, 2005
Posts: 322
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 01:49 PM |
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Plan on 8000K....if she's not your wife yet, then there must be some lingering doubts about it. Nothing you want to base a major live move on by committing yourself to expenses that go beyond your own stand-alone salary.
And do your research and be pretty damn sure about the job. Lot's of stuff changing here, with the financial crisis. Shanghai's not as booming as it used to be. |
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monkey7020
Reacher
Joined: June 10, 2006
Posts: 250
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 03:28 PM |
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Yeah, dudes, put away your expense accounts for a minute...
8k a month is plenty to live on... I know others living on a lot less and having a great time. |
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Darrick
Seeker
Joined: July 21, 2007
Posts: 73
Location: Pudong dong
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 04:24 PM |
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1000 for a one bedroom with living room, kitchen and private bath?
Far west China? Not in Shanghai. For an expat, Puxi studio's are running 3500 and up. Some places in Pudong like green center in Jin Qiao and Zhang jiang aren't much cheaper. Do your research! |
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TheDudeAbides
Rocker
Joined: June 21, 2006
Posts: 744
Status: Offline
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Nov 24, 2008 - 05:09 PM |
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Depends where you want to live, it's not always 3.5k and upwards but I think you'd have to more realistically look at around 2k.
I have a friend renting a decent sized apartment that she shares with one other person near Fudan University for around 2k/month, and her previous apt nearby was even cheaper. Another mate of mine lives near SISU and pays well under 3k as well, also a decent sized pad. If you're willing to commute for up to an hour each way you could keep it in the 2-3k range without too much trouble I think. Not in the centre of where it's all happening but by the sounds of things you'd probably make do.
And unfortunately the pessimist (realist?) in me also says don't count 100% on the idea of combining your salary with your GF's, not to be presumptuous about your GF and her motives or anything, but all too often it doesn't quite work out that rosy. At least consider the possibility it might not work out, see it more as having a "worst case scenario" backup plan. |
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xeno
Newbie
Joined: Nov 24, 2008
Posts: 6
Status: Offline
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Nov 25, 2008 - 05:35 AM |
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Ah, thanks for so many replies fella's. I guess I should elaborate. I do web design/editorial/corporate design, but work as a photographer also. The idea for working only 20 hours a week is to allow me to freelance more, as there are tones of web design jobs going in shanghai, and then move onto a permanent position once my teaching job runs out.
It's a much easier way of gaining a visa, as design jobs entail a good face to face interview and showing a portfolio of work.
The 4K a month was for mid 2007 - start of 2008. I came back to London to get some solid work experience and improve my portfolio. Alas the economic plummet is hitting media here (especially fresh graduates pretty hard), although I've been having regular work with regular clients. I guess I'm essentially jumping ship before it sinks .
As for the 'why aren't you married yet?' question. I think you have been living in China too long. We don't intend on getting married... not all asian girls live under the thumb of their parents. She's pretty free to do what she likes.
I know the Chinese economy has also been hit hard, some good inside info on any jobs cuts would be appreciated! |
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xeno
Newbie
Joined: Nov 24, 2008
Posts: 6
Status: Offline
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Nov 25, 2008 - 05:43 AM |
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oh, yeah TheDudeAbides, of course. You can't count on anything. I guess I'm working ideals. It wouldn't be the end of my life if i had to live on my own on 8k. Besides a friend is also moving to Shanghai (we went together last time, but he has stayed). So we will be splitting rent 3 ways. We all went to uni together and lived together there, so dont forsee problems. |
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