@@demboy2563 Actually they will often be surprised, especially from Europe, North America, and Australia. They will often treat them like guests. However, they would not welcome western politicians or BBC/CNN journalists who will often have a biase on China. As a Chinese student studying abroad in U.S, you are welcome to visit Shanghai my hometown!😘
Thank you, James, Kelly, and Aleese for this video. I have been following many expat RUclipsrs in China and this is the FIRST time I have watched a video with detailed info on salaries and expenses. Very informative! I have been following everything about China for more than 4 years; politics, economy, science & technology, high-tech stuff, history, culture... and even Chinese dramas! If I were younger I would move to China. IMO China is the BEST country to live in.
Thanks for sharing the information. Most of cell phones in China have dual SIM card slots so that you can take advantage of the extra SIM cards from your internet plan.
I live in Yiwu, a third-tier city in China (where many Chinese commodities in the world come from), about 20 minutes drive from the city center. One bedroom, one kitchen and one toilet, about 30 square meters. The rent is 600 yuan a month (USD 84), the mobile phone bill and wifi fee are 100 yuan a month (USD 14), the water and electricity bills are about 100 yuan a month (USD 14), and for food, I usually only eat in restaurants and order takeout, which costs 1,500 yuan a month. ($210) Commuting costs nothing. These necessary expenses total 2,300 yuan ($322), and my monthly salary is 7,000 yuan ($980).
In Australia, the grocery is about 700-800 for a family of 4 on average currently and has only shot up this high after covid in 2020, this open my eyes on how outrageous Coles and Woolworths pricing are.
That’s very true. Expats often have a foreign price to pay for things thiugh. For example housing costs are different for expats than they are for locals living in the country. We are lucky to have the salary we did while in China though.
Actually housing costs are the same if that is not their home city. They just have to resort to living in poorer conditions. But that their choice as expats often have to be paid well and treated very well for us to consider working in China. In recent years, very graduates have been leaving major cities and return back to their 2nd or 3rd level cities because they could not afford the housing.@@JamesandKeli
Yes, what i meant is that these chinese have to pay the same high housing rents as expats, because they do not belong there. They come from 2nd to 5th tier city. @@JamesandKeli
Internet cost me in LA for $89 dollar, but my question is how much do u save, going out to eat is expensive in LA, $20 for a bowl of noodle and rent is so expensive $1500 per person, $4000 for a three bedroom
You actually earn three times more than ordinary local people. The Shanghainese's average monthly salary is only 12000. But of course, you spend more than them. Anyway, you still save a lot. Good for u!
If living in a shared apartment or very far from the center it is possible to find cheaper apartments. But as an expat it is not easy to find anything lower than 6,000 in Shanghai.
@@JamesandKeli anyway, I'm a newcomer to your channel, this video is very insightful so I just wanna leave a comment to hopefully help the algorithm. Have a bless future endeavor
Thank you for sharing, I appreciate the openness and honesty, it can be uncomfortable being transparent with the world on your finances. That said it is very helpful to have a lived experience shared to this level of financial detail so thank you once again for sharing. I am curious to know the labour cost in China compared to the rest of the world, particularly in the manufacturing sector. I notice the minimum wage is significantly less compared to your earning. That is, minimum wage is around 2690 yuan a month compared to your income of around 34000 yuan a month. So my question is, what do most manufacturing jobs pay? What kind of jobs attract minimum wage, I assume entry level like cleaning and receptionist, does it include factory worker? Why are your wages so high? is this normal for most Chinese or is this typical for a degree qualified worker? Are foreigners paid more than local Chinese, for example were you on a special rate not available to the average Chinese person? Where you paid or gain any benefit from the CCP for this presentation? what is the ratio of people on or near minimum wage compared to people on wages like yours? Thanks in advance :)
We are not paid at all by the CCP. we currently no longer live in China. This was our wage as foreign teachers, we do not know salary’s for local Chinese. Sorry we can’t answer more of your questions.
They are not paid by the CCP. Foreign teachers are paid in western wages, way more than the average income of locals, in order to recruit foreign talents. Their livelihood in China does not represent the vast majority of locals. The average income for most local people in China is around 3k - 7k RMB per month, depending on the tier of city you're in. They are only showcasing the kind of living standard achievable working as a foreign teacher in China. It paints a completely different standard of a local Chinese person living on a local income.
We personally don’t use apps for renting because they are all Chinese and some require a Chinese National ID. We would go through local agents who help us.. however it does require an agent fee.
You don't mention anything about any insurance. Do you have one, in case of accidents and you need to get home to US? And I assume hospital bills aren't cheap either being a non Chinese citizen. What are your thoughts about that?
We don’t mention insurance because our company provided us with insurance. We have had both international coverage (but doesn’t cover the US), and local insurance. Overall the cost of public hospitals in China are not overly expensive if you do not go to the Foreign Department.
In our video we talked about the cost of an apartment. We had only a one bedroom apartment which was 16k a month for a place in the city center.. cheapest maybe you can find is 7,000yuan.
@@seattlecity2455 It can get very low, as low as you want, if you are willing to live in bad conditions. There are a lot of people who earn very little in China and they have to live somewhere.
LOL, SO much cheaper!I I wish it was easier to move to China - I'd move my family there in a second! Safer, cheaper, cleaner, friendlier - what does the usa have to offer that is better??????
So you are saying an expensive meal costs about the same as a meal at Mc Donalds in America?? Wow!! And it's real food and not this odd processed food that tastes like wood...Hummmm...I'll be moving, learning the language now.....Thank you ...
This presentation is about the most expensive places, living in Alabama or Minnesota is not the same in America! In the countryside or in the city... It should be shown how much life is like as a normal working worker. You live as a Chinese person who works every day in a factory and eats in a restaurant that matches his salary, or cooks at home. It is not the luxurious spoiled American life that should be presented!🤔
@@JamesandKeli Its among the most expensive places in the world yea. A restaurant meal with wine is like $40 USD equivalent. A week of groceries is about 70 USD per person if your budgeting it cheap. Its really soul crushing. I want to move to China.
We still needed to use a translation app! We knew enough just to get around or get by. To get to know the language we took lessons with a private tutor for the first few months when we arrived.
What questions do you have for us after living in China for 4 years?
I have lived in China for 43 years, so you can ask me any questions. Just kidding, don't mind!😂
How chinese people treats foreigners?
@@demboy2563 Actually they will often be surprised, especially from Europe, North America, and Australia. They will often treat them like guests. However, they would not welcome western politicians or BBC/CNN journalists who will often have a biase on China. As a Chinese student studying abroad in U.S, you are welcome to visit Shanghai my hometown!😘
How do you upload the video to youtube? Is it using VPN or something?
@@ivanjonathan4240 Actually I am a Chinese studying abroad in the US. If I am within China mainland, yes, a VPN is a necessity to access youtube.
Thank you, James, Kelly, and Aleese for this video. I have been following many expat RUclipsrs in China and this is the FIRST time I have watched a video with detailed info on salaries and expenses. Very informative! I have been following everything about China for more than 4 years; politics, economy, science & technology, high-tech stuff, history, culture... and even Chinese dramas!
If I were younger I would move to China. IMO China is the BEST country to live in.
Thank you for your comment! We felt that sharing as much as we could would definitely help people interested in moving to China in the future 😊
My hubby and I dine out in Shanghai quite often, and for two the price varies between 100-300. There are some very decent inexpensive restaurants. 😀
There are cheaper international restaurants for sure. But getting drinks really add up the bill quickly.
I see. International restaurants can be quite expensive, and I didn't consider drinks. 😁
Such a great breakdown and comparison between the two cities!
Thanks for sharing the information. Most of cell phones in China have dual SIM card slots so that you can take advantage of the extra SIM cards from your internet plan.
Honestly, I never thought about that! We have dual SIM card slots, but never thought about putting the other SIM card in it😢 that’s such a smart idea!
I live in Yiwu, a third-tier city in China (where many Chinese commodities in the world come from), about 20 minutes drive from the city center. One bedroom, one kitchen and one toilet, about 30 square meters. The rent is 600 yuan a month (USD 84), the mobile phone bill and wifi fee are 100 yuan a month (USD 14), the water and electricity bills are about 100 yuan a month (USD 14), and for food, I usually only eat in restaurants and order takeout, which costs 1,500 yuan a month. ($210) Commuting costs nothing. These necessary expenses total 2,300 yuan ($322), and my monthly salary is 7,000 yuan ($980).
3rd tier cities are definitely cheaper to live! It’s great you are still able to save money off of your salary 😄
@@JamesandKeli But local house prices average 30,000 yuan ($4,200) per square meter.
@@baskjhdgkasgd don't buy unless you plan to live there permanently
Very nice video🎉
Thanks for your candor! Very informative
Glad it was helpful! 😊
In Australia, the grocery is about 700-800 for a family of 4 on average currently and has only shot up this high after covid in 2020, this open my eyes on how outrageous Coles and Woolworths pricing are.
This is very true!! Cost of living has only been increasing, we even noticed this in China. Even though it is still relatively inexpensive
U earn AUD, thus Coles pay salaries in AUD too.
Thanks for this video, great information.
其实现实购买比网络购买要贵一些，如果通过社区团购购买实物，购物网站购买商品，还会便宜很多，不过住房在这种大城市花费很多
The major expense is accommodation in Shanghai
It really is 😭
Great information, thx
that is very high a salary. Many Master and PHD locals in Shanghai and Beijing dont earn that much
That’s very true. Expats often have a foreign price to pay for things thiugh. For example housing costs are different for expats than they are for locals living in the country.
We are lucky to have the salary we did while in China though.
Actually housing costs are the same if that is not their home city. They just have to resort to living in poorer conditions. But that their choice as expats often have to be paid well and treated very well for us to consider working in China. In recent years, very graduates have been leaving major cities and return back to their 2nd or 3rd level cities because they could not afford the housing.@@JamesandKeli
Housing is very expensive in top tier cities! @@jjtt5585
Yes, what i meant is that these chinese have to pay the same high housing rents as expats, because they do not belong there. They come from 2nd to 5th tier city. @@JamesandKeli
Internet, TV monthly payment are much cheaper in China. Renting may be not cheaper too much compared to NY.
The housing cost is really our biggest expense while living in China.
but renting cost in smaller cities is much cheaper
Can’t compare to NYC, my friend went to NYU and rent a tiny one bed room apartment in Manhattan and that costs her $5,600 per month😢
Internet cost me in LA for $89 dollar, but my question is how much do u save, going out to eat is expensive in LA, $20 for a bowl of noodle and rent is so expensive $1500 per person, $4000 for a three bedroom
In China with our lifestyle we were still able to save $1,000-$2,000 a month with our expenses.
@@JamesandKeli wow
What cities did you teach in & which were your favourite? Currently looking at teaching options so would love to know! Thanks.
@@SpencerRoss-h2n we taught in Suzhou, Jiangsu and Shanghai
You only spend half of your income every month, that's pretty good.
Yeah! Even though it feels like we spend way too much money 🤣
In America , it is from paycheck to paycheck from one or two jobs.
You actually earn three times more than ordinary local people. The Shanghainese's average monthly salary is only 12000. But of course, you spend more than them. Anyway, you still save a lot. Good for u!
hi JamesandKeil !!! I am a university student from xi'an,have you ever been to xi'an? and why you chosed to go to china four years ago?
Discuss dowry in different region of China? The standard is 300,000 yuan
Curious what allow you guys to live in China for extended period of time? What was the process or type of visa?
We were both English teachers during our 4 years, so we had a working visa provided to us by the company we worked for.
1st
Thank you for your support!! 😄
There are much cheaper options. Some Shanghai apartment cost 1k
If living in a shared apartment or very far from the center it is possible to find cheaper apartments. But as an expat it is not easy to find anything lower than 6,000 in Shanghai.
ofcourse if you'll be using pay as you go for the simcard, it goes up to 200yuan but with a package it will be almost 50yuan :/
Lovely couple.
@@666raki thank you 😊
i think the cost is for living in Metro, but if you live in rural area, the cost is much much cheaper!!
For an apartment, yes. We also lived in a smaller town, Suzhou, but our cost of living for expenses were close to the same, just housing was cheaper.
Uh I am sorry, there is something very charming about a guy cooking with a Chinese wok😂👍
😂😂 Chef James always here to impress people
@@JamesandKeli anyway, I'm a newcomer to your channel, this video is very insightful so I just wanna leave a comment to hopefully help the algorithm. Have a bless future endeavor
Thank you so much 😁 we appreciate it!
Basically everything apart from housing is super cheap. So for a local Chinese person it's very low cost
How is the air quality in Beijing/ Tianjin?
Following government environmental actions the air quality has significantly improved from say 15 years ago.
Thank you for sharing, I appreciate the openness and honesty, it can be uncomfortable being transparent with the world on your finances. That said it is very helpful to have a lived experience shared to this level of financial detail so thank you once again for sharing. I am curious to know the labour cost in China compared to the rest of the world, particularly in the manufacturing sector. I notice the minimum wage is significantly less compared to your earning. That is, minimum wage is around 2690 yuan a month compared to your income of around 34000 yuan a month. So my question is, what do most manufacturing jobs pay? What kind of jobs attract minimum wage, I assume entry level like cleaning and receptionist, does it include factory worker? Why are your wages so high? is this normal for most Chinese or is this typical for a degree qualified worker? Are foreigners paid more than local Chinese, for example were you on a special rate not available to the average Chinese person? Where you paid or gain any benefit from the CCP for this presentation? what is the ratio of people on or near minimum wage compared to people on wages like yours? Thanks in advance :)
We are not paid at all by the CCP. we currently no longer live in China. This was our wage as foreign teachers, we do not know salary’s for local Chinese. Sorry we can’t answer more of your questions.
They are not paid by the CCP. Foreign teachers are paid in western wages, way more than the average income of locals, in order to recruit foreign talents. Their livelihood in China does not represent the vast majority of locals. The average income for most local people in China is around 3k - 7k RMB per month, depending on the tier of city you're in. They are only showcasing the kind of living standard achievable working as a foreign teacher in China. It paints a completely different standard of a local Chinese person living on a local income.
What apps do u use for renting an apartment in China?
We personally don’t use apps for renting because they are all Chinese and some require a Chinese National ID. We would go through local agents who help us.. however it does require an agent fee.
@@JamesandKeli thank you for the information 😊
I have one question. Does your school offer you the health insurance in China ?
Yes, our school offered us an international health insurance. When we worked at a local kindergarten we had the local health insurance.
@@JamesandKeli thank you for your response.
You don't mention anything about any insurance. Do you have one, in case of accidents and you need to get home to US? And I assume hospital bills aren't cheap either being a non Chinese citizen. What are your thoughts about that?
We don’t mention insurance because our company provided us with insurance. We have had both international coverage (but doesn’t cover the US), and local insurance. Overall the cost of public hospitals in China are not overly expensive if you do not go to the Foreign Department.
Anyone can you tell me like how much rent I can find apartment one bedroom in Shanghai I wii study in ECUST
In our video we talked about the cost of an apartment. We had only a one bedroom apartment which was 16k a month for a place in the city center.. cheapest maybe you can find is 7,000yuan.
@@JamesandKeli expensive hhhhh i find website weellce I think so cheap almost 2000 I think yunan in line 1 metro but I think not correct
@@seattlecity2455it could be true, depends on the location.
@@seattlecity2455 It can get very low, as low as you want, if you are willing to live in bad conditions. There are a lot of people who earn very little in China and they have to live somewhere.
@@JamesandKeli 16k is 3500 AUD.... thats 2-3 bdrm apartment in central Melbourne or Sydney. Expensive af
👏👏👏
请开放中文字幕翻译
Can I turn American money into yuan?
❤
Well, Bangkok, and I live in the "centre" Siam Square, is far cheaper, friendlier and convenient. Keep China.
LOL, SO much cheaper!I
I wish it was easier to move to China - I'd move my family there in a second!
Safer, cheaper, cleaner, friendlier - what does the usa have to offer that is better??????
So you are saying an expensive meal costs about the same as a meal at Mc Donalds in America?? Wow!! And it's real food and not this odd processed food that tastes like wood...Hummmm...I'll be moving, learning the language now.....Thank you ...
This presentation is about the most expensive places, living in Alabama or Minnesota is not the same in America! In the countryside or in the city... It should be shown how much life is like as a normal working worker. You live as a Chinese person who works every day in a factory and eats in a restaurant that matches his salary, or cooks at home. It is not the luxurious spoiled American life that should be presented!🤔
30k is a lot tho. Holy moly
Save some money Guys for kids, there are so many things you can reduce your cost of living,
100%! We definitely realized how much money we were spending, and made some adjustments. It is so easy to over spend if you don't track it.
@@JamesandKeli wishing you a happy and healthy life🙏
It's funny watching you guys call all this expensive. Meanwhile I'm just sitting here in Auckland like your monthly expenses are my weekly expenses.
Wow! Auckland must be very expensive to live in.
@@JamesandKeli Its among the most expensive places in the world yea. A restaurant meal with wine is like $40 USD equivalent. A week of groceries is about 70 USD per person if your budgeting it cheap. Its really soul crushing. I want to move to China.
I assume you guys speak Chinese or ? How long it took you to learn the language good enough that don’t need a translator?
We still needed to use a translation app! We knew enough just to get around or get by. To get to know the language we took lessons with a private tutor for the first few months when we arrived.
Cost of living in Bay Area San Francisco. 😅
Life is expensive 😔
Free Palestine 🇵🇸
James is cute.