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anonymous
Q: Is 15-18,000/m with an apartment enough to live comfortably in Shanghai?
When I say "live comfortably" I'm referring to going out 2-3 times a week and mostly cooking at home. Can you still save money or have money to travel?
Who can break down their living costs for me in Shanghai?
10 years 16 weeks ago in Money & Banking - China
I say yes. There will be teachers making a fair bit more. But I dont think its anything to laugh at. Especially is apartment is paid.
Living costs
Pint 25-50 depending on if you drink normal beers like carlsburg or if your a snob. Or drink Guiness. Yeesh!
Foreign Dinner- 75-150 You can go cheaper, or way more expensive. Im thinking like a decent foreigner pub a plate of fish and chips would be like 90 i guess.
A large pizza at pap johns is like 100-120
you get the idea.
Chinese food- no window
Dumplings or something like 10-20 for a full meal, up to several hundred at a decent restaurant. Good rule of thumb for budgeting chinese food
A meat dish is 30-50
veggies 20-30
And a big main piece, think a crab dish or some big center piece main dish - over a hundred
Going to Clubs
Cocktails at least 50 can be up to 80 or more in like a hotel bar
Keep in mind that 90% of people in clubs get table service with a minium table fee of usually like 1000 or so. You can just go to the bar but in China its kinda ghetto, but its so packed , no one cares
Bottle of whiskey 700-1000, should include some mix and some wierd fruit plate
Cooking at home is cheap. Cooking western food at home can be just as pricy as going to a western restaurant. I saw a can of alphaghetti for 28 kuai! jeeze thats like 7 kuai back home in walmart. Yeah i got it, so what?
TMaster:
Never drink spirits and liquors from bar or clubs. Not only is it overpriced but also fake most of the time.
Other than that, totally agreed.
Paulberger:
Oh my god... You mentioned fish and chips and papa johns and my mouth started drooling... We have neither in my city, or province probably...
mike695ca:
I, after my years of china, have screwed up my liver enough that I am now immune to fake booze. Im sure real booze would be a shock to my body. Im like the snake charmer who purposly lets snakes bite him to make himself immune. Bring on the fake booze!
@Paul Im sorry man, I didnt mean to.... I know how that feels, its weird, but i genuinely feel guilty
mike695ca:
hey thats my kind of cooking! And watch what you say man. alphaghetti blows real spaghetti right out of the damn water!
is that after tax or before?
if everything is paid by someoneelse and you live like a local then you only need 2k to live.
the rest is up to you how you spend your money
I lived okay with wife and kid on 6k without apartment in Shanghai. side job accasional income does not count, but was warmly welcomed 
so, 15k sure will be okay for single ...
coineineagh:
Was that recently, or a couple years ago? Basic food prices are soaring, and inflation every year is significant. 6k a few years ago was a lot more than 6k today. On topic: 15k + apartment provided makes it worthwhile to live in the big city. You'll be a proverbial highroller if you're single, and you'll have to struggle to stay single for long. If apartment isn't provided, count on handing over 1/4 of that salary every month. Still decent, but you could easily do better in Shanghai.
Nessquick:
of course, recent. But I end the job there just few days ago, when I accepted this new one, with double that. Here I have a shuttle to work and back, paid food and so on. just apt. is on my own. If only 6k alone, sure not enough, I know, but for single one with decent nature no problem ...
Side money was enough to have a 35days long holidays in Europe, but nothing special for traveling a lot, as I have to pay out some old shit. here new phones, clothes, 1-2 bottles of Scotch each month.
man, I have a family and paying 5dollars for beer is too much, when I need at least 8 to feel fine ... 
and this are some cheap expat bar prices, right ?
I say "no". Don't accept less than 26K RMB/mo. If they offer you less, they're taking advantage of you.
dom87:
depending what he gonna do here
teaching in shanghai is usually between 12-16k
street sweeper maybe 1,5k
professionals can range from 5k-150k
