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Posts: 26

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Q: Can i live off 10,000 rmb monthly with nice apartment and eating foreign food?

i will pay 5000 rmb for apartment, i will not have room mates and will mainly buy american made products, i don't drink so no cash needed for that and i am a vegetarian

12 years 29 weeks ago in  General  - Beijing

 
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Posts: 1006

Shifu

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WTF would you spend half your money on an apartment? Where? Beijing? Shanghai?? You can get a decent place for half that in Guangzhou or Shenzhen.

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12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 28

Governor

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Yes thaats plenty!!

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12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 960

Shifu

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If the 5000rmb includes all ancilliary cost such as Cable, power heating etc that will leave you with about 170 rmb a day. How that last will depend on what type of American products you buy, how you get around (taxi Vs public transport) and where you eat (home, resturant, top class resturant) If you are a vego I am not sure what American products you will buy as vegies are cheep and plentiful, tofu the same. All in all this will be enough to live off if you dont have a large entertainment budget.

udemeotuokon:

the best advice or answer i have heard so far..thumbs up woody!

11 years 51 weeks ago
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12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 28

Governor

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But like someone else wrote above you can find very nice apartments for a cheaper price, 5000 is steep for just one apartment, I think a 2000rmb apt should suffice. Where are you looking to rent an apartment? what city?

rsm1:

beijing, the pictures on the internet for apt's less than 5000 rmb don't look real inviting to me

12 years 29 weeks ago
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12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 960

Shifu

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rsm. That is the internet and they are looking to rip off anyone who may not be familiar with things. I am not sure what is real inviting or not and where you want to live. I am not even very up on the prices in Beijing only what others have told me. But if you are alone you should only need a 50-60 sq mt one bedroom and you should be able to get that pretty close to wherever you want of to transport for a lot less than 5000rmb. Do you have any collegues or friends that could advise you and help you out?

rsm1:

i will have to get help when i arrive

12 years 29 weeks ago
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12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 99

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They are only pictures, you can find a great apartment or even studio with less money or much less. 5000 for a single? you just got done.

Don't be a snob. 10,000 is plenty for a single person to live in Beijing especially if you don't spend all your money on booze.

rsm1:

wow. don't be a snob ???., i do not live in dumps, being clean and living in a decent place does not make one a snob,

12 years 29 weeks ago
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Diaphane:

You're a snob if you judge by just a picture and automatically decide that everything under 5000 is not worth to at least had them personally be seen by you first.

12 years 29 weeks ago
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12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 11

Governor

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10,000 should be plenty to live on in Beijing. Hahaha, more than I make right now! I pay 3300 for a very nice apartment, though it's only a studio (I think it's 60ish square meters). When I looked for apartments online before, I noticed the prices for ads in English seemed higher than in Chinese. If you are coming with a job already, perhaps one of their English-speaking locals can help you deal with the real estate agents.

I don't know what American products you are planning to buy, but I have found, generally speaking and converting local currency to US dollars, food is much much cheaper. Monthly utilities such as water, phone, electricity, and cell phone, are considerably cheaper than in the US. Electronics and cars, however, are slightly more expensive. Buying food and drinks at bars is about the same, maybe a tiny bit cheaper. I don't know about taxis (I boycott them because their driving makes me angry). I can't think of any other expensives right now.

All in all, unless you want to party a lot, 10,000 will be more than enough to live comfortably in Beijing. Let me know if know if there are any mistakes I made in the last six months that I can help you avoid!

rsm1:

thanks for your help

12 years 29 weeks ago
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12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 144

Governor

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u can live like king or queen

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12 years 28 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1153

Shifu

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i surely could not i need at least 30000 to live in china

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12 years 28 weeks ago
 
Posts: 9192

Emperor

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My pocket money that I spent was over 10,000Y a week while on vacation. I think I would have trouble. I like to have fun. My hotels,travel and some meals were prepaid.

TedDBayer:

yikes got my Visa bill, spent 37800y each week,

12 years 24 weeks ago
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udemeotuokon:

if true,u r sure a hell of a lucky dude...yup i said dat..if i get such amounts i'll be balling around town..hehe..

11 years 51 weeks ago
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TedDBayer:

like I said my Visa bill !!!!

11 years 51 weeks ago
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12 years 28 weeks ago
 
Posts: 371

Shifu

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If you are scammed into paying Y5000 for an apartment then your money will not last long. You will have to wake up and get wise in China or you will pay your first taxi Y500. Please for gods sake stay away from the markets and souvenir shops. It's people like you they are waiting for.

Answer. I honestly believe you need around 20 thousand rmb a month. Because you will be buying everyone tea or food or whatever scam you fall for that day.

rsm1:

I am not stupid, i want to live in a nice place, what should i expect to pay for a nice 1 bedroom apt, must be clean, no bugs , all things working, spending 10,000 rmb monthly is not even close to what i will earn so it does come down to what you can afford

12 years 27 weeks ago
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12 years 28 weeks ago

Tired of dirt and lies.

 
Posts: 650

Shifu

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5000rmb one bed room apartment will be a nice one.
5000rmb to buy all the food, vegetable, fruits, milk, chess etc from American will be enough...
Fairly speaking, u will have a quite comfortable life here.

udemeotuokon:

U speak so nicely,spirit of hospitality..yep she would live comfortably as u said!

11 years 51 weeks ago
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12 years 27 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1091

Shifu

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dude that is like how much you have to pay to live where i live no one should have to pay that much in china

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12 years 6 days ago
 
Posts: 2604

Shifu

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Yes you could live off of 10,000 a month...If your a vegetarian than it's more than likely you would live comfortably since vegetables in China are really cheap..5000 for an apartment is good to that's close to 1000 dollars. You can get one of the newer looking apartments for that much!blush

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12 years 6 days ago
 
Posts: 264

Governor

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no way in shang hai,, a nice apartment will cost 6000--8000rmb per month( nicer one cost 20000---100000per month), then the electricity bills, phone bills, internet bills, dry cleaning bills, ayi, transportation, nice western food.. 10000rmb is definately not enough.

 

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11 years 45 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3025

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As it has been said, in the large metropolitan areas (major cities within China, no way, 10,000 Rmb per month will not be enough.

 

But in smaller cities, you can do it easily.  I have a 190 sq meters two story apartment, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, two floors.  Living, dinning and kitchen plus balcony, and I pay 3,000 Rmb per month including management fees, security, and water, plus garbage collection, ground cleaning fees and elevator usage fees.  Telephone, Internet sre 119 Rmb, electricity is between 250 and 400 Rmb every two months, gas is maybe 30 to 50 Rmb per month.  For food I do spend about 1,000 Rmb per month, but I do use a lot of seafood, beef, pork and chicken for my meals, Western style mostly.

I will say I blow about 6,000 Rmb every month average, and that does not include any trips outside the province.,

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11 years 45 weeks ago
 
Posts: 31

Governor

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short answer:  No

 

 

Western food is expensive in China.  Cheese is expensive, salmon is expensive... etc

 

 

Id say 40000rmb minimum

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11 years 45 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1989

Peasant

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short answer yes you can live depend in which city you are living

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11 years 45 weeks ago
 
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you can hardly rent a good studio 5000RMB  around 2or 3th ring road in Chaoyang District these days.  if you want to live in CBD. kind of impossible.. May be 6000 you can rent a good studio in Park No.5 or Seasons Park but with good luck.the marketing of rentting is getting hot.

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11 years 41 weeks ago
 
Posts: 218

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I lived the good life in Changchun for less than that but as so many mentioned here - Shanghai is something else. I feel like you would be okay but don't expect luxury living and steak and lobster every night Wink

 

*Well, now my wife is correcting me (as usual) and insist that SHE does know where to rent some decent apartments in Shanghai for about 3000 RMB incl utilities. Oh.. she is all animated ... now says something about how foreigners don't know this.. she knows it.. her aunt has a nice place in Shanghai...  lol

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11 years 41 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2494

Emperor

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Looks like someone copied this question....I knew I had seen this question before..yes you can live off of that amount! crying

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10 years 43 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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Yes you could live off of 10,000 a month...If your a vegetarian than it's more than likely you would live comfortably since vegetables in China are really cheap..5000 for an apartment is good to that's close to 1000 dollars. You can get one of the newer looking apartments for that much.

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10 years 43 weeks ago
 
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