Cost of living in China

The cost of living in China can be much lower than in most of the western world. The unit of currency in China is the Yuan or Renmenbi (RMB). Currently $1 US dollar equals about 7.2 RMB. Use the guide below to better understand what things in China will cost.

Food

          Eating Chinese food is relatively cheap. Three Chinese dishes, with rice (enough for two people) at an average restaurant will cost about 40-50 RMB. Of course you can eat food off the street that will cost about half of this for a meal, but it may be a bit difficult for a western stomach to handle at first.
          Eating in Western restaurants can get very expensive. A hamburger at Outback Steakhouse is about 100 RMB and a steak at sizzler can be as much as 200 RMB.

Toiletries and other essentials

          Just as with anything, the local Chinese products are comparatively cheap. You can pay as little as 10 RMB for a bottle of Chinese shampoo and 200 RMB for your favorite western brand or 15 RMB for Chinese hand lotion and 200 for some western brands. A haircut at a small Chinese barbershop is 10 RMB whereas if you go to Eric of Paris it will cost you 230 RMB. Razors for shaving can be difficult to find as Chinese don't use them. Most supermarkets will have a small section with shaving cream and mach-3 razors. The shaving cream is about 30 RMB and the razors are about 60 RMB for a four-pack.

Transportation

          Getting around in Beijing is fairly convenient. There is a small subway system that can be convenient when close to a station, which is not always the case. Tickets are 2 RMB. Taking a bus is only 1 RMB but can be confusing at first, especially if you can read Chinese characters. The easiest way to get around is by taxi. Fares range from 10 RMB for any ride within a few miles or about five minutes to 70 RMB for 45 minute rides across the city. The average taxi fare for getting around the city in a convenient way is about 15 RMB per ride.
          Getting from city to city in China is also relatively convenient. Flights from Beijing to Shanghai start at about 500 RMB if bought in advance to 1200 RMB if bought at the last second. A train to Shanghai would cost about 350 RMB for an overnight sleeper train. A bus could be less than 200 RMB.
          If you are thinking of traveling in China be careful about traveling during the national holidays. With 1.3 billion people all on vacation at the same time you can imagine what kind of chaos can envelope train stations, bus stations and airports. The following are major holidays you may want to avoid for this reason.

          You also may want to avoid traveling a few days before and after these dates as the people like to extend their holidays and stations tend to jam up a few days before the holiday begins and stay that way until a few days after.

Hotels

          An average three-star hotel in most cities in China will cost about 300-500 RMB per night. A very nice 4-5 star hotel will cost 800-1200 RMB per night. Most big Chinese cities also have a number of hostels. These will cost about 40-60 RMB per night for a dorm-style room with shared bathroom and 250-300 RMB per night for a double room with private bathroom.

Souvenirs and Misc.

          Buying items from markets in China can be fun yet exhausting. Keep in mind that if you're not in supermarkets or high-class department stores then chances are you can bargain for what you want to buy. Bargaining at markets such as silk market is a must. The price listed on most items is about 8-10 times what the price should be. In general, items like pants and shirts will cost you 100-200 RMB at the market. Keep in mind that these items can also turn out to be very low quality. It's the risk you take for the low cost. If you want to ensure high quality you can go to the large department stores and pay 300-400 RMB for nice pants and shirts. As far as souvenirs go, it depends on what you buy. Little Chinese knick-knacks found at any market can cost between 5-50 RMB after bargaining. Remember, it never hurts to bargain.