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anonymous
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Q: Is it me or China is getting more and more expensive ?

I'm currently living in Chongqing and the prices are getting higher and higher (but salaries are still the same). That's so crazy !
Is it the same in every parts of China or only there ?

I want to know, so I might move to a place a little bit less expensive. 

10 years 51 weeks ago in  General  - Chongqing

 
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Posts: 2494

Emperor

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It's called inflation! Prices always will increase. Housing prices are soaring and it's never gonna change. It's like that in Chongqing and probably anywhere else you might go!

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10 years 51 weeks ago

There are cookies, bookies and too many rookies for me to sit here trying to be a hooky! Looky Looky don't call me a wooky. Touchy Touchy Feely Feely Spicy Spicy Nicey Nicey & that's what the doctor Ordered!!

 
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Emperor

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in america prices actually went down. for electronics and clothes edit: this was meant as a comment.

but oh well. china is on the verge of economic collaspe . the prices going up are early warning signs. it happened in usa

10 years 51 weeks ago
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ambivalentmace:

we have the luxury of joking about prices going up, but to some chinese who live on less than 400 rmb retirement, food is a big percentage of staying alive, i have always thought china keeps the rmb at a set rate to the dollar so they dont have a billion hungry chinese with pitchforks at the government front doors demanding food.

10 years 51 weeks ago
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10 years 51 weeks ago
 
Posts: 195

Governor

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china is getting expensive even more than some western countries like Spain

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10 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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Thumbs down??!!

Oh well, thumbs up for (almost) everyone!!!!

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10 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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12 for a small coffee..  6 for small chicken soup,  3 for bottle of water....  3 for a coke...  18 for pretty common meal !    3 per month fee from bank for e-notice.  well, they sure have Western prices.. I sure hope I start getting Western salary..    haha    Tongue

GuilinRaf:

Chinese salary, western prices....

Worst of both worlds.....cool

10 years 51 weeks ago
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10 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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It's you who's getting poorer.

xunliang:

That doesn't even make sense

10 years 51 weeks ago
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10 years 51 weeks ago
 
Posts: 195

Governor

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If you really want to eat really really cheap, you can do it. you can find noodles for 8 yuans, water for 1 yuan. If you go to the small markets in the streets you can find baozi pretty cheap, what they put inside even chinese people don,t dare to eat it.  If you eat this chinese shit everyday let,s see how many years you can survive without cancer or another sickness. Good luck!

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10 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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"Is it me or is China getting more and more expensive?" It depends on what you're talking about. Surely, if you live in Shanghai,Beijing,etc. you will pay more for many things. The price of housing,etc..big item purchases in the 1st tier cities is unbelieveable. It's the same in the United States. Wages haven't gone up for over ten years yet many things are more expensive. Again, it depends on where you live. Yes, you might look into moving to a cheaper,different Chinese city/town. I know that it's much cheaper to live in the Northeast.

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10 years 51 weeks ago
 
Posts: 223

Governor

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Yes it's a problem, google 'China inflation'. You'll probably find some good articles about it.

 

I know a few people who have been in China for 6-7 years and their salary is the same as it was 6-7 years ago but their cost of living has increased quite a bit.

 

Just in the few years I've been in China I've already noticed rent prices go up across the board in this city.  Apartments that I use to see for about 2,800rmb a couple of years ago are now around 3,400rmb for the same exact apartment.

 

That might not sound like much but that's an extra 7,200rmb a year for nothing.  When your salary stays the same that makes a big difference. Then add into that food prices have gone up, heating prices have gone up, water prices have gone up, luxury items (clothes etc etc) have gone up.

 

Alreay I know of two friends who have left China simply because the prices have gone up enough that it's no longer worth it for them to stay here.

Nessquick:

I will be the 3rd one soon :)

10 years 51 weeks ago
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10 years 51 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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yes it's getting more expensive everywhere in China, the reason is because the government has been printing #$@ loads of RMB to buy US dollars to artificially keep the exchange rate favorable for it's exports.  Of course this will start to affect everyone.  Make no mistake, the official inflation reports are fake, they are actually much higher and don't forget the magic of "compound interest".  If something grow 7% every year (which in China,  prices easily even exceed even this amount), then in 10 years it would have doubled in value, so if inflation in China grows at 7% yearly, in 10 years time, products and services would have doubled in cost.  As foreigners, my advice would be to have some holdings in gold, silver to protect from inflation, also perhaps to transfer some of your salary back to your home country.  I would have said that real estate could also be a good bet, although for China, I think we're definitely in a large bubble that can explode anytime now, especially if there is something major happening elsewhere like US depression or WW3!

LAR:

Ha ha Ha ha! Too funny!!!!!! There isn't gonna be a U.S. Depression or WW3! Get a grip! :( When China's real estate bubble bursts, that will be due to CHINA'S fault.

10 years 49 weeks ago
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LAR:

"U.S. Depression or WW3!" Ha ha Ha ha!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO!!!! :)

10 years 47 weeks ago
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10 years 49 weeks ago
 
Posts: 75

Governor

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Well, it depends.

If you choose to live like a Chinese, then you won't spend too much money.

e.g. You can eat dumplings in a tiny restaurant instead of insisting your western lifestyle.

Don't require too much. It is far behind you home country normal living quarlity of course.

JustinF:

yeah, eat in a small restaurant and die of cancer or poisoning.

10 years 47 weeks ago
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10 years 47 weeks ago

au fil du temp

 
Posts: 75

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To JustinF:

But that's the country, ah? 

You can't live in the bubble. Even if you eat in a good restaurant, what can you do with the massive pollution and bad air? 

I didn't say you should live a Chinese way. I was just say economically speaking, it is not so expensive Smile

For all around the world, if you want western food, you pay pretty much the same. In that case, no point to discuss though.

 

Nessquick:

No, "western" food in "western" countries are much cheaper there, than the chinese modification of western-like food here .

I can get my lunch for 4-5 dollars back home, while similar ( with chinese characteric) "sometthing" here i will get for at least 10 dollars.

only real piece w-food here is old good Mc, which also slowly adjust to chinese taste. I saw a shop, where they pretend to sell western food. wtf, beef goulash with mashed potato ? i have weird taste sometimes, but this is too much. And do not talk about pizza hut, that's nothing common with pizza anymore, maybe the the round shape only...

10 years 46 weeks ago
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10 years 46 weeks ago

au fil du temp

 
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Shifu

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Inflation.  Franck3

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10 years 46 weeks ago
 
Posts: 75

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To Nessquick

Which country are you from?

 

I don't know the situation about America but in Europe most countries, yes. 

Maybe except for some cities in Italy, Napoli maybe, you can get a nice pizza for 5 Euro, but other countries, you need to pay at least 8 Euro for a dinner.  I live in Belgium now.

 

But exotic food is always more expensive of course. Maybe try Japanese and Korean  food in China instead. I remember in Suzhou there are loads of them, not so expensive and quite "clean".

 

 

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10 years 46 weeks ago

au fil du temp

 
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