A China Conundrum
- 2009-07-07
Excellent - definitely have your priorities straight........lol
KG
- 2009-07-07
Thanks for the information, Turino. I'll take the job. A rent-free flat and a bicycle provided means I can dispense with taxis as a rule. Air fare reimbursement and 40000 Chinese Yuan plus 2600 for travel plus 1000 for medical expenses is a great benefits package for what is virtually a parttime job. Just what I've been looking for. Chinese food is my favorite food here in Canada, and I'll buy a cart-load of beer to start with, to last me the whole of the first semester!
Turino
- 2009-07-06
4000 a month works out at about 130 Yuan a day. The cheapest Chinese beer costs at most 2 Yuan per 600 ml bottle,and you'll get a refund of about 4 Yuan per 10 empty bottles.That kind of beer is around 3% - 3.5% alcohol by volume, and of specific gravity 9 degrees - 10.5 degrees according to the brand.Unlike weak Western beer,it tastes good.As for cigarettes,Chinese brands at 5 Yuan a pack are quite pleasant to smoke.Those costing between 1.5 Yuan and 4.5 Yuan a pack are of low quality and will quickly give you a bad cough.Meat dishes in small to medium-sized Chinese restaurants will cost between 15 Yuan and 20 Yuan for a large plate of chilli chicken or sweet and sour pork,for example.A plate of vegetables or of fried peanuts will be around 5 Yuan.Add 1.5 Yuan or 2 Yuan for a bowl of rice.You'll be full.But if you eat dishes in Western fast food restaurants,you can virtually double your food bill.If you drink in Karaoke bars,the beer will cost at least 8 Yuan a bottle.That said,you can save some money by buying beer and cigarettes in bulk,eg 500 bottles of beer for 900 Yuan,delivery to your apartment free,or a box of 200 cigarettes for 48 Yuan instead of 50 Yuan.
I can live well off that kind of salary rent-free in Northern China.At the end of the month,I'll be left with at least Yuan in my pocket.Avoid taking taxis,eating in Western restaurants,buying Western products of any kind,drinking in bars,and you'll be well off.Now you can do the sums yourself.But in Southern China,the cost of living is much higher,especially in Guangdong.
HireEd
- 2009-07-06
"Good standrd of living" has very different meanings for different people. Can you keep yourself reasonably well-supplied with food and drink and smokes? Yeah, probably, especially if you drink Chinese beer, smoke Chinese cigarettes, and eat Chinese food in small, cheap restuarants. The western brands for each are much more expensive, and in Gansu province likely hard to find as well.
If you are the kind of foreign teacher who seeks a regular diet of Pizza Hut, Budweiser, and Marlboros, 4000RMB will disappear rapidly -- especially if you begin ordering food after having several beers.
I assume the school is providing your housing and paying ALL utilities? If there is a "cap" on your utility allowance, be prepared to pay a significant portion out of your own earnings (in Gansu, especially in winter).
The real question -- at least to me is: Will you have anything left (finanically) when it's time go back home? I seriously doubt it.
My first job in China in 2003, was at a vocational college in a medium-sized city in Jiangsu province. At that time, the salary was 4500RMB per month; and in those days, I didn't drink beer and I have never smoked, and still the money went quickly.
Be prepared for possible mysterious deductions from your salary that might not be justified by more than some oral reasoning/explanation. Documented evidence (utility bills for example) is almost impossible to come by.
Keep as much cash in reserve (for the unexpected) as possible.
Hi everybody!
I need some advice. I have a job offer from a public junior college in Lanzhou, the capitol of Gansu province. As I hold a BA degree, the salary offered to me is 4000 Chinese Yuan a month for a maximum of 16 lessons a week.I'm a beer drinker and a smoker. I eat at least one meat dish a day, and my appetite is big. Can anyone tell me if I can enjoy a good standard of living locally on a salary like that?