

Pricing and Living Cost in China
Cost of Living in China vs US
In recent years, more and more foreigners choose to teach English in China, one of the major reason is the low cost of living in China, which contributes to saving money. According to Numbeo, cost of living in China is 45.01% lower than in the United States (aggregate data for all cities, rent is not taken into account) and the average rent in China is 61.62% lower than in the United States. Besides, most English teaching positions, but not all English teaching positions, will provide free housing, medical insurance and subsidy for air tickets, etc. Therefore, the cost of living in China is generally very low.
How Much Is the Rent in China?
The cost of rent will depend on where you live in China. Generally speaking, the rent in tier 1 cities is more expensive than that in tier 2 cities, and the rent in downtown is more expensive than that in suburbs. Please notice that most schools will offer free housing or apartment allowance, hence the rent in China is usually affordable for a foreign teacher. From the following chart you can see that the cost of rent in China is much cheaper than that in the United States.
China | the United States |
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre: ¥3,556 ($511) /month | Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre: ¥9,534 ($1,370) /month |
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre: ¥1,977 ($284) /month | Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre: ¥7,605 ($1,093) /month |
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre: ¥7,413 ($1,066) /month | Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre: ¥15,320 ($2,202) /month |
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre: ¥4,202 ($604) /month | Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre: ¥12,064 ($1,735) /month |
Cost of Transportation
The transportation is very convenient among all tier 1 cities, new tier 1 cities and tier 2 cities. You can choose the public transportation like subway and bus to go out. Besides, there are some popular ways to get around like Didi taxi and shared bikes. From the following chart we can see that the cost of transportation in China is lower than that in the United States.
China | the United States |
One-way Ticket (Local Transport): ¥2 ($0.29) | One-way Ticket (Local Transport):¥17.36 ($2.5) |
Monthly Pass (Regular Price): ¥150 ($22) | Monthly Pass (Regular Price):¥500 ($72) |
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff): ¥10 ($1.44) | Taxi Start (Normal Tariff): ¥22 ($3.2) |
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff): ¥2.50 ($0.36) | Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff):¥11.65 ($1.68) |
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff): ¥37.5 ($5.39) | Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff):¥208 ($30) |
Gasoline (1 liter): ¥7.15 ($1.03) | Gasoline (1 liter): ¥4.85 ($0.7) |
Cost of Food
There are a lot of inexpensive foods in China and each region of China has its own local food. Also, most cities have many exotic restaurants, so you can enjoy both Chinese food and food from worldwide. In addition, you can also enjoy the popular Chinese food with cheap price, such as dumplings (Jiaozi), Baozi (steamed stuffed bun), Hot Pot, Chinese tea and so on. Here is the food price in China compared with the United States:
China | the United States |
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant: ¥21 ($3.02) | Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant: ¥104 ($15) |
Meal for 2 People, Mid-rang Restaurant, Three-course:¥150 ($21.61) | Meal for 2 People, Mid-rang Restaurant, Three-course:¥382 ($55) |
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal):¥35 ($5.04) | McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal):¥56 ($8) |
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter drqught):¥7 ($1.01) | Domestic Beer (0.5 liter drqught):¥35 ($5) |
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle):¥20 ($2.88) | Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle):¥41 ($6) |
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle):¥3.4 ($0.49) | Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle):¥13 ($1.88) |
Cost of Purchasing an Apartment in China
In recent years, the housing prices in China have rose rapidly especially in tier 1 cities. Buying an apartment in China's tier 1 city is more expensive than in the United States and Britain. As can be seen from the chart below, the price of buying an apartment in China is almost twice that of the United States.
China | the United States |
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre: ¥50,421($7,263) | Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre: ¥22,079($3,180) |
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in Outside of Centre: ¥26,286($3,786) | Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in Outside of Centre: ¥14,523($2,092) |
Cost of Childcare
In China, the cost of international schools is expensive, especially in tier 1 cities, and the cost of international school is an increasingly common problem for most foreign families. However, as a foreign teacher in international schools, if you bring your kids with you to China, most international schools will provide benefits for teacher's Children. From the following chart we can see that the cost of pre-school in China is lower than in the United States while the cost of international primary school in China is higher than in the United States.
China | the United States |
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child: ¥3,301($474) | Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child: ¥6,591($946) |
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child: ¥121,366($17,422) | International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child: ¥114,953($16,501) |
How Much Do You Get Paid to Teach in China?
As with other teaching jobs, salaries range depends on education attained, years of experience teaching, teaching level demonstrated skills and additional certifications. Salaries vary according to seniority, so the longer you teach in China, the higher your salary will be. Besides, salaries vary from city to city in China. Generally speaking, salaries in tier 1 cities are higher than in new tier 1 cities or tier 2 cities.
Hourly Rate of Pay in China
By 2020, the monthly minimum wage in Shanghai is 2,480 yuan, which is the highest in China. In addition, the monthly minimum wage in Beijing is 2,200 yuan. In terms of the minimum hourly rate of pay, the hourly minimum wage in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangdong exceeds that in 20 yuan, and the hourly minimum wage in Beijing is the highest, which is 24 yuan.
Basic Salary of Teaching Jobs in Tier 1 Cities
Type of School | Monthly Basic Salary |
Training Centres | ¥18,746 ($2,699) - ¥25,374($3,654) |
International Schools | ¥19,318 ($2,782) - ¥28,171($4,057) |
Pre-Schools | ¥15,000 ($2,157) - ¥20,000($2,876) |
According to ‘Tier 1 Cities & Salary 2020 Research Report’, among the three types of school, the basic salary of international schools and training centres is higher than pre-schools. The average monthly basic salary is ¥23,744 ($3,414) in international schools, ¥20,151 ($2,898) in pre-schools and ¥22,060 ($3,172) in training centres.
Basic Salary of Teaching Jobs in New Tier 1 Cities
Type of School | Monthly Basic Salary |
Training Centres | ¥15,169 ($2,181) - ¥20,860($3,000) |
International Schools | ¥18,357 ($2,640) - ¥25,765($3,705) |
Pre-Schools | ¥16,966 ($2,440) - ¥22,012($3,165) |
According to ‘New Tier 1 Cities & Salary 2020 Research Report’, the basic salary of international schools is higher than training schools and pre-schools. The average monthly basic salary is ¥22,061($3,172) in international schools, ¥19,489 ($2,803) in pre-schools and ¥18,015 ($2,591) in training centres.
Basic Salary of Teaching Jobs in Other Provincial Capital Cities
Type of School | Monthly Basic Salary |
Training Centres | ¥11,404 ($1,640) - ¥15,645($2,250) |
International Schools | ¥17,072 ($2,455) - ¥23,699($3,408) |
Pre-Schools | ¥16,599 ($2,387) - ¥23,126($3,326) |
According to ‘Other Provincial Capital Cities & Salary 2020 Research Report’, the basic salary of international schools and pre-schools is higher than training schools. The average monthly basic salary is ¥20,385($2,931) in international schools, ¥19,862($2,856) in pre-schools and ¥13,525 ($1,945) in training centres.
If you want to find a good employer in China, you can visit the job Board of TTJ. TTJ has also included IB schools, AP schools and Cambridge schools that are officially authorized to run schools in China.