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Q: How much moderately a normal person spend (in RMB) while living in China, exactly Beijing?
Hello, Ni hao,
I want to know please guys, how much a normal life will cost in Beijing actually ?
I have free accommodation and lunch. So just the price for dinner and breakfast, monthly of course. Doing a sport at a club, and visiting some places in Beijing.
Thank you a lot.
Have a nice day guys.
local lifestyle will cost you about 1000-2000 rmb per month. Western: no limit
I live with my wife on about 3k per month (phones, dining out 3 times a weekend,electric, internet etc. included)
If you are not familiar with china, this is not possible. You can only live cheap if you cook yourself every day (taste better anyways)
Chhris:
How so? A meal for one costs around 20 RMB outside. If you eat out 3 times a day for 30 days a month that's around 2000 RMB per month. Why would you waste all that time cooking when it's just so much more convenient to eat outside?
expatlife26:
i think he meant 3 times a week not 3 times a day haha.
especially since last thing he said was about how he likes to cook at home.
Shining_brow:
3 times a weekend works... especially if you count Friday night as part of the weekend!
dom87:
We don't eat out during the week. Just at the weekend we go 3-4 times out.
groceries for the week cost me about 200-300, rest goes for eating out.
Not much entertainment going on, but i wouldn't calculate it into my living cost.
yes eating outside is convenient and easy but unhealthy as shit and I like my own "western food" more, at least 5 days a week
Free lunch? I thought there was no such thing 
.
Cost of living? Some might say 3k is enough. But you will have a miserable existence.
Myself, I would say about 10k a month. A decent night out with a western meal etc could set you back 1k. A group meal, sometimes you will be expected to pay, and it's not polite to be a penny pincher.
If you are taking a job in BJ, I would say don't do it unless you are getting paid at least 15k a month absolute minimum. If you are getting less than that you will be stuck in a greasy spoon eating crap dumplings after a BCD instead of hitting the bars and doing some stress relief.
I reckon a good rule of thumb for pay is a months wage should get you home instantly. Forget any romantic notion of eating noodles every night and saving 4k a month on a 5k wage. Hold out for a decent paid job and enjoy yourself 
. Not qualified for a decent job? Study more. Put your trip off till you can demand a good wage.
I know I have made a lot of assumptions here, but with good reason. If you are taking a job with paid rent and a free lunch, you should be getting paid enough not to worry how much your dinner and breakfast will cost.
Just be careful. Don't take a low wage, because then you will be stuck in the wage trap.... not enough money to get out....next month... next month... always putting it off... change of contract...lower wage... no free internet... another school wants you but wont pay as much.
Yup... a months wage should be enough to get you out.
Hello,
Lol yes ! Free lunch ! I am in training, free rent and free lunch Guaranteed ! I'm not searching for a work, just a 9 months training on Beijing ! I thought that without rent and lunch 3k RMB is enough to live a very normal life ! But you've mixed all my calculations :P
10k a month is too much :( .
Thank you a lot for your answer mate, have a nice day !
ScotsAlan:
You can eat on 3k a month. But.....whats the point? You might as well stay at home and eat noodles.
I don't think it's quite as much as what Scots Alan says. You have free accommodation and lunch so that's a good start. You're there for training so you re not going to be spending like an engineer. i think you will need more than 3k though if you want to live a little. If the training is worth it, Im sure you could survive ok on 3k. You would just need to limit your nights going to bars. You would also need to get used to having local cuisine. This part will be hard.
ScotsAlan:
"spending like an engineer".. What does that mean dokken? Ha ha... But you are spot on about local food. The hidden bones in the rice is enough to destroy your savings on dental bills. Never mind toilet tissue.
dokken:
I meant mechanical engineers sent over by companies with expat salaries can outspend somebody that is training, by a lot? Obvious point no?
burnit4mosta:
Thank you for your answer, that comfort me ;)
Hope i'll enjoy living in Beijing, they told me it's cold out there, and there is no rain in winter is that true ?
Have a nice day dude
local lifestyle will cost you about 1000-2000 rmb per month. Western: no limit
I live with my wife on about 3k per month (phones, dining out 3 times a weekend,electric, internet etc. included)
If you are not familiar with china, this is not possible. You can only live cheap if you cook yourself every day (taste better anyways)
Chhris:
How so? A meal for one costs around 20 RMB outside. If you eat out 3 times a day for 30 days a month that's around 2000 RMB per month. Why would you waste all that time cooking when it's just so much more convenient to eat outside?
expatlife26:
i think he meant 3 times a week not 3 times a day haha.
especially since last thing he said was about how he likes to cook at home.
Shining_brow:
3 times a weekend works... especially if you count Friday night as part of the weekend!
dom87:
We don't eat out during the week. Just at the weekend we go 3-4 times out.
groceries for the week cost me about 200-300, rest goes for eating out.
Not much entertainment going on, but i wouldn't calculate it into my living cost.
yes eating outside is convenient and easy but unhealthy as shit and I like my own "western food" more, at least 5 days a week
They've all talked about the food side of things... and not mentioned the 'sports at a club" or seeing Beijing.
3000 will be way too low for that!
Currently, it sounds very much like you're a Chinese non-BJ immigrant, who's on the lowest of the low pay. Most low-wage, high turno-over companies will offer some form of real cheap (dormitory) type accommodation, and some meals for their employees. And the salary of 3000 is about what they get too!
So, you're on a basic Chinese unskilled worker pay-packet!
Good luck!
dom87:
3000 is enough for living if the rest is paid.
Just the expensive gym and entertaining weekends have to skip
I haven't spent a lot neither in Hebei nor in Beijing. In a regular provincial city 4k is more than enough with 2-3 times a week going out for sushi or pizza+ starbucks. Most of the clubs have deals (pay 100 drink as much as you want cheap beer/whiskey mixed with ice tea) . In Beijing there are much more nice places where you want to go and feel like at home, You could be addicted to them. I'd say for a simple life- cooking at home, dining out 2--3 times a week I need not more than 6k.
You can save a lot on buying booze at taobao))
Where I live I spend about 3,000 RMB a month, sometimes 4,000 but I live a very very cushy lifestyle off it. If I wanted to live like a local I could easily live off 1,000 RMB a month but that would suck hard.
However in Beijing it's more expensive, if you live on the cheap a bit maybe 3,000. If you wanna have fun and travel bring 10,000.
yongge:
I agree with you. I live in a large, rich third tier city and have to put in an effort to spend more than 3k a month. Apart from breakfast, I eat at home not more than three meals a week, all the time at restaurants, where you can get a meal for as little as 20yuan.
