Cost of Food in Beijing

[MarsBlackman]

I plan on studying at BLCU for a year long program. I'm trying to figure out an overall cost. Tuition, housing, and airfare are easy to find but how much does food typically cost? I plan on living in the dorms, at least for the first semester. how much should i expect to spend on food? Per day, week, month, whatever?

also, i've never been to china, but i'm assuming interaction with local chinese for language practice is easy to come by in and around campus?

[roddy]

It really is a case of what you want to spend - live off noodles, street food and in season fruit and you can do perfectly well on a couple of dollars a day. Do your own rice and veg at home and you can probably spend even less. And like any city, Beijing will let you spend as much as you want if you feel so inclined.

[jbradfor]

live off noodles, street food and in season fruit and you can do perfectly well on a couple of dollars a day.

But if you want to eat more familiar / western style, you can expect to pay more than at home.

also, i've never been to china, but i'm assuming interaction with local chinese for language practice is easy to come by in and around campus?

See this thread: http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/2-favourite-chinese-musician9518

[MarsBlackman]

Thanks for the advice. I can read all I want but the inside pointers are the most valuable

[roddy]

Trying to remember what I've eaten lately . . .

Bowl of beef noodles at a relatively nice on-campus restaurant place, 10Y

Rather disappointing chicken sandwich, 15Y

煎饼‘s at 3.50 (I think that's a bit pricey, it's a stall inside the supermarket rather than proper 'street' street food)

Some kind of baked meat-filled bread, 4Y

'Mexican salad' - massive taco thing filled with lettuce and beans and mince, 40/50Y, I forget

Barbecue sticks (sit-down place, rather than roadside stall, including some very nice honey glazed chicken ones), plus beer 23Y

Numerous greasy egg cakes (鸡蛋灌饼） at 1.5Y each.

Very nice beef sandwich and very nice pasta even if it was only pasta and not much else in a very nice cafe, 52Y.

Beef and egg porridge, 6Y

I tend to be out working on my laptop a lot, so do more cafe-eating than I would otherwise. I view it as rent for the electricity and wireless, with free food thrown in.