It depends how you define "well". For 10,000 a month in Beijing, you can live in a mediocre flat, have a social life and eat out occasionally, but you won't have any savings at the end of the month. Once xmas comes along and it's time for you to buy your ticket back home, you suddenly find your bank account back to zero. For 15-20,000 you can slowly, but surely save a couple of thousand a month and eat out at Western restaurants several times a month, go out boozing at weekends, buy yourself or your flat some nice things and maybe even go on a weekend trip somewhere. For 30,000 you can live in a luxury flat, do and eat whatver you like, and still save money.

I first came here and made 12,000 a month. I had a decent apartment ate out as much as I wanted and booze alot, but not expensive booze. Then I made 11,000 a month but had a cheaper apartment and was making money on the side. Could live without thought to eating out to much and stuff, but could never save more than 1000 a month. Look at it this way. Let's say you eat in Chinese restaurants in Beijing. By yourself a meal is about 30 kuai. So, let's say you eat two meals a day in a restaurant (I hope you don't) that's 1800 kuai a month. Let's say you share an apartment and pay 3000 a month for rent. there's 5800 kuai. So, you have 5,000 a month to spend on entertainment and other things. If you only go out weekend and by 15 kuai drafts you'll spend about 1600 kuai a month. That leaves you with 3200 for incidentals. So, as I said another 2000 on other stuff and bang, 1,000 a month to save.

However, at one point I made about 6,000 a month extra and after a few months of that the money was piled up and I did some travelling and stuff. I could easily have spent it. The trick is the life of a 10,000 kuai a month person is easily doable if you buy cheap beer...etc. If you start making 20,000 keep buying the 15 kuai pints, don't start on the 50 kuai pints.....

Now I make 26,000 a month and let me tell you it's awesome.

i would say min 12000 and max anything