Cost of Living in China (for Expats)

If you’re considering moving to China, but you’re not sure about the cost of living there, then this video is for you. Some of my friends back home who are used to buying Chinese products from Ali express always ask me: Is China really that cheap? What is the cost of living like there?
In this video, I interviewed expats who live in China and asked them to share their opinion about their cost of living. These expats live in the city of Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi province. And at the end of the video I compared the costs of this city with Shanghai so you can get a better idea of the costs in an average city compared to the most expensive city in China.
Numbeo is a crowd-sourced global database of reported consumer prices, perceived crime rates, quality of health care, among other statistics.
www.numbeo.com
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[@kwanmike9993]

Thanks for showing us real life China, we need more videos of these instead of political biased western channel

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it 😊

[@waynem7186]

Thanks for the video. Really informative.

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Hey Wayne! I'm glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@ExpatNatt]

So helpful, thank you!

[@ReadyGoExpat]

My pleasure! =]

[@peterveldman9073]

It all depends on Where and How you live in China!!! Yes China can be cheap.. And yes China can also be very expensive!!

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Hello Peter. That is absolutely true. The city you choose will play a major role in the cost of living, but HOW you live in China will directly affect your cost of living. Thanks for the comment =]

[@MichaelDangerDobbs]

Thanks for the video. It was nice to hear their opinion, and I know it will be hard to get specific but even general rough estimates would be really helpful because expensive and cheap are so relative. I feel like everyone said you can have a pretty good life for not too much money or it’s really affordable which isn’t the most helpful. But still cool information thanks for the video

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Hi Michael. I agree with you. It's not very easy to be accurate about living costs. What I believe most expats in China agree on is that foreigners get paid at least double the average local salary. Also, if you live "like the locals", you will be able to save up a lot of money. (Personally, I was able to save between 50-70%) Most jobs for English teachers will offer accommodation as well. Therefore, it all comes down to each one's lifestyle. What can be expensive in China is if you buy a lot of imported products or eat at Western style restaurants. Thanks for the comment =]

[@MichaelDangerDobbs]

@@ReadyGoExpat That’s awesome, good to know thanks for the extra info

[@RahaRo11]

Great video. Thanks.

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Thank you very much. I'm glad it was helpful!

[@erenestawanjiru1935]

Thank You So Much For This Video.....

[@ReadyGoExpat]

my pleasure 😊

[@achere4893]

Very true....

[@chintao1109]

Video is helpful. Thank you

[@ReadyGoExpat]

my pleasure! 😊

[@timhillebran1003]

My wife and I lived in Shanghai from 2012 to 2014 and even there we were able to pay off debt and save a decent amount. I've heard things have changed a lot since then, though.

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Hey Tim! That's great that you were able to spend 3 years in Shanghai. I've been to Shanghai a couple of times, but I am not sure about the living costs there. Some of my friends told me that the most expensive thing by far is renting a place there. Thanks for the comment =]

[@trevorgrainger4859]

Great videos my girlfriend lives in foshan I am considering moving to China and teaching English Aswell I'm from Canada and I love China such a beautiful country. Any advice for where to get started for a work visa?

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Hey Trevor! I am actually working on a series of videos about teaching English in China. I have interviewed some other expats and I am currently doing my research on specific details like visa, holidays, etc. My piece of advice would be to search for videos on KZbin which aren't older than one year about teaching in China. The requirements usually change every year. And my second piece of advice would be to avoid jobs at English schools (Training Centers). Try to get jobs at public schools (middle school/high school) or public universities. I will get into more details about that when I post the videos here. Thanks for the comment 😃

[@trevorgrainger4859]

Wow thanks for the reply I love your videos I am subscribed I'll keep tuned to your future videos!

[@ReadyGoExpat]

@@trevorgrainger4859 I'm happy to read that 😃

[@inspiritlashi9994]

Hi, I'm planning to move to China for my Masters. Could you please tell me about the CoL in Jiangsu as an international student?

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Hey! Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, I don't know much about colleges because I worked there as an English teacher. However, there are videos in this channel with students who studied in Chinese colleges. Good luck!

[@Maurice_Traveler]

Thailand ,Cambodia ,Vietnam, Laos is cheap to live

[@ravitejavooka5515]

Lord Ganesh pic at 3.35🥳

[@ReadyGoExpat]

:)

[@Revelation13-8]

Are all those people in the video married to Chinese ? or what kind of visa do they use if not ? thanks.

[@ReadyGoExpat]

They had work visas when they were interviewed. If you are married to a Chinese citizen, you can't work in China. Now, in 2023, I believe most of them have left China, including myself.

[@laidaniabdelhakim6479]

How much is the salary for ESL Teachers in china ? and how much can you say a good salary is ?

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Based on my experience, the basic salary for ESL Teachers in China is usually 7-9K (universities), 10-16K (Language Schools). Of course, some experienced teachers can get much more than that, especially if they live in the largest cities. I believe a good salary is around 14-20k.

[@jordancochrane3895]

@@ReadyGoExpat per month?

[@ReadyGoExpat]

@@jordancochrane3895 groceries I posted was per week. Costs vary depending on each person. I'd say I used to spend around 4,000-5,000 RMB per month (rent not included).

[@ceneika]

There’s no numbers in this video... to compare too?!

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Watch the video until the end and you will find the numbers.

[@namelesswarrior4760]

"Income and outcome" and you're teaching english? OK

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Yes.

[@namelesswarrior4760]

@@ReadyGoExpat so very much good! I want to learn talk english two

[@namelesswarrior4760]

@@ReadyGoExpat Just so you know that there will be new legislations being introduced in 2021 to have all foreign registered english teachers take a entry exam to show their levels of qualifications as english teachers. You'll be issued with papers if you passed the exam and must be produced and vetted before being allowed to teach our kids english. There is nothing to worried about if you're a legit qualified english teacher.

[@ReadyGoExpat]

@@namelesswarrior4760 Don't worry! I'm legit. I've been legit for the last 18 years. 👍

[@namelesswarrior4760]

@@ReadyGoExpat Then all is well for you sir! I'm not sure that all can claim to be legitimate from wnat we can ascertain from videos like yours online! Hence the new legislations. We just want to ensure that the building blocks of education for our children have a solid foundation and are well structured moving forward right? This new initiative will be looking at the whole structure of foreign teachers and its source which is the agencies and we believe that is where the grey areas are most prominent! "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men" Frederick Douglass

[@littlebrit]

People are cheap (salaries), everything else is pretty expensive. I started to charge 10-20 RMB for Chinese people who want to take photos with foreigner. Because I also have costs to get to China.

[@ReadyGoExpat]

That's interesting that you charged people 10-20 RMB to take photos with you hahahaha

[@studywithme1605]

I will charge you if I see you in China. !

[@TheMohadam]

Food scares me! A country where pets can be meal.

[@ReadyGoExpat]

Well, that didn't make me feel scared or anything. I think the world as a whole should reconsider eating animal meat and products.