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.