Ask for as much info (inc. photos) as you want on the school, housing, contract details, etc.

In my experience (both as an employee and employer) people are happiest in their work when their expectations for the job meet the reality of the job. Part of the responsibility for meeting expectations is of course the job of the school who should ensure that they meet their end of the bargain and provide the teacher with indepth info about the role but also the employee should do as much research and probing into the position as possible so that they know what they are in for.

Looking back at the statement I made, I agree that it doesn't equal the sum of its parts. I guess what I meant was that I am ideally looking for a stable position that I could be happy with long-term (so wouldn't want to go somewhere that i knew was only temporary just for the money) but, worst case scenario, it wouldn't be a tragedy having the Macau job not work out and having to find something else. At least with the Macau job, I know that my kids' education is being covered while I'm there.You are right, though, that I should look into the feasibility of saving anything there on that salary. A lot of this has to do with whether or not I'm happy with their accommodation or if I have to find something else. Would it be inappropriate for me to ask them for photos of the accommodation they provide?

Thanks you two for all the helpful advice. I've definitely gone through my time on living on a pittance -- might have even been one of those who would compete about how little I could spend -- but now with a family I find myself with different priorities. Good accommodation and general comfort have become important to me and so has developing an increasing balance in my bank account. I think I'll go with the Macau job. If it isn't all I had hoped for then at least I'll have experienced a year living in Macau and can move onto something better once my contract expires.

I agree that there are many FTs in China who can and do live on a pitance. I've even seen some groups of teachers get quite competitive over how little they can spend a month and i personally enjoy being able to actual build a bank balance rather than just making ends meet as i was when i left the West.

But I still feel that if you give a Western family of 4 1000RMB for housing allowance then they are probably not going to be happy with the apartment that they can get. It's unlikely to have modern fixture and fittings (probably no western toilet), adequate climate control (good air con, decent windows, etc.), probably won't have hot water available in the kitchen and in general it won't be clean to the degree that most Westerners consider something/somewhere to be clean. To get an apartment to standard then you'll need to dip into your wage.

It just sounds like the Principal David spoke to in Zhengzhou hasn't given due consideration to what a professional from the West moving to China with their family would want to hear. As someone in a similar boat (i only have 1 child) the most important things i want an employer to provide are accomodation suitable for my situation and education expenses for my child. Equally i wouldn't want the Principal to haggle over every last penny and then say that i have to make a decision now - it's a pretty big call when you decide to move your entire family to a foreign location.

Certainly the Principle in Zhengzhou is right to say that 16000RMB a month is more than what the average Chinese family in Zhengzhou would make but then i don't believe that the average Westerner would be happy living the average Chinese lifestyle. 1000RMB is not going to cover the price of a nice apartment suitable for 4 people. You'll be spending around a third of your total salary on housing your family in a modern apartment, then if you decide to send your kids into private education it's going to cost you a reasonable sum of money.

I've been to Zhengzhou several types and haven't noticed that the air pollution is particularly bad just the same as most larger cities. Still in the winter your more likely to get sick and the summer you probably won't see a blue sky for a couple of months. There doesn't seem a great deal to do and see in Zhengzhou itself, it's mainly just a business and transport hub for the province.

Macau is going to be more expensive to live in than Zhengzhou (I've not lived there myself but have visited it twice). However, if they are offering you an apartment and schooling for your children then it sounds like a better deal IMHO. Also Macau is probably going to be less of a culture shock than living on the mainland - more English speakers, better services, better lifestyle in general.