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Cost of Living in China
Despite rising prices, the cost of living in China remains significantly lower than in most industrialised countries. With your teaching salary, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how comfortably you can live and how far your money can go.
Living in China comes with numerous lifestyle perks. Imagine hiring a cleaning service occasionally, dining out regularly, enjoying monthly travel adventures, indulging in massages, and experiencing vibrant nightlife—all without stretching your budget. You can even afford tailor-made clothing for a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere.
Curious about the actual cost of living? Here’s a glimpse at some everyday expenses to help you decide if teaching in China is the right move for you.
Food
Eating local food and buying produce from the Chinese markets gives our teachers amazing insight into the Chinese diet and a glimpse at traditional Eastern medicine. It also leaves them with money in their pockets for massages and traveling.
Milk (1L): 7 RMB/0.95 USD
Eggs (12): 7 RMB/0.95 USD
Carrots (1kg): 5 RMB/0.68 USD
Chicken breast (1kg): 15 RMB/2.05 USD
Rice (1kg): 8 RMB/1.09 USD
Bottle of water (1.5L): 3 RMB/0.41 USD
Bottle of Chinese beer (0.5L): 4 RMB/0.54 USD
Leisure activities
China has a wide range of regional cuisines, and eating out is the best way to discover this variety. Chinese people eat out frequently and often entertain friends and colleagues in restaurants instead of having them in their homes.
Whether you’re enjoying a meal with friends, working out at the fitness club, or getting a massage, you’ll find that leisure activities are often very affordable in China.
Three-course mid-range restaurant dinner: 80 RMB/10.91 USD
Quick restaurant meal of rice or noodles: 25 RMB/3.41 USD
Large steamed dumplings, a common street food: 3 RMB/0.41 USD
Housekeeper (2 hours): 80 RMB/10.91 USD
Massage (30 min): 100 RMB/13.64 USD
One-month fitness club membership: 1,000 RMB/136.36 USD
Movie ticket, international release: 65 RMB/8.86 USD
Transportation
China has excellent, yet inexpensive public transport, and even taxi rides are quite reasonably priced. Chinese people often commute by bicycle, but this mode of transport is only for the bravest of foreigners.
Metro Ride: 3 RMB/0.41 USD
Taxi rate per km: 2.2 RMB (start fare ~ 10 RMB)/0.30 USD
20-min taxi ride across town: 25 RMB/3.41 USD
City bus: 2 RMB/0.27 USD
3-hour bicycle rental: 8 RMB (plus 100 RMB/1.09 USD deposit, returned)
Ferry crossing: 2 RMB/0.27 USD
Cheap travel
Any traveler on a budget will love taking trains in China. Trains are numerous, and increasingly high-speed rail services connect large regional cities. Domestic flights are also usually inexpensive. There is seasonal variation, and prices rise during national holidays like Chinese New Year.
One night in a mid-range hotel: 350 RMB/47.74 USD
The high-speed train, Guangzhou to Wuhan (3 hours): 490 RMB/66.86 USD
Slow train, Guangzhou to Wuhan (10 hours): 120 RMB/16.38 USD
Flight one-way, Guangzhou to Beijing (2 hours): 800 RMB/109.09 USD
Flight one-way, Guangzhou to Bangkok (3 hours): 1,300 RMB/177.73 USD
Cost of living in China
A lot of teachers often ask about salary. To give you an idea of how teachers at English 1 in China spend their salary, here is a sample monthly budget with the average cost of living in China:
Gross Income (Base Salary): Around 15,000 RMB/2,046.00 USD
Rent: 3,000–4,500 RMB/409–614 USD
Utilities (electricity, gas, water): 200 RMB/27.28 USD
Phone and Internet: 300 RMB/40.91 USD
Food: 2,000 RMB/273.64 USD
Insurance: 300 RMB/40.91 USD
Remaining Disposable Income: 9,200 RMB/1,255.00 USD