If you’re thinking about moving to China, you might be wondering about the cost of living situation. How much can you expect to be paying in your day to day life? In this blog, we’ll take a look.
The good news is that on average, the cost of living is about 45% lower in China than it is in the UK, and (rent aside) the average cost per month for a single person is around £450. This is, of course, dependent on the city you choose to live in – but wherever you choose, China is quite an affordable place to live.
I’ve taken the statistics in this blog from Numbeo – take a look on there for more specific examples of the costings!
Transport
Public transport in China is widely available (and generally cheap!), so you can easily utilise it to navigate the cities. The metro in cities like Beijing and Shanghai cost about 40p to £1 per journey. A 30-minute taxi costs about £6.
Food
Street food, which is significant to the country’s culture, is commonly available. It’s generally a pretty accessible price, too. Standard, inexpensive restaurants are also conveniently priced (as little as £2-£5!), but you can obviously expect to pay more if you’re having a multiple course, fancy meal out at a classy establishment.
Rent
Shanghai and Beijing are the most expensive places to live in terms of rent (they'll set you back around £800-£1000 a month). The cost of living there is generally higher than in other areas of China, too, although when compared to similar status Western cities, it's not too bad. In places other than Beijing and Shanghai, rent can be about half the price. Depending on where you need to be, it might be worth looking a bit further afield.
You're probably reading this, rubbing your hands together and booking the next flight to China. "£2 for a meal in a restaurant?! £6 for a 30 minute taxi?! Why am I not living there right now?" And that's fair enough. It does seem ridiculously cheap.
But keep in mind that although the prices are significantly lower, that's going to be reflected in your salary, too. It's relative. Although things are cheaper, the price of things is relative to how much you earn.
All in all, it depends on how fancy you want to live your life. If you’re living like a high-flyer, then you could easily find yourself spending as much as you would back home. If you’re a bit more thrifty, you could easily save yourself some money.
Do you live in China? What things have you found that you couldn't believe the value for money of?