Living expenses (approx)

[thewamphyri]

Ninhao,

I'm looking for estimate on what I can expect to spend per day while in a major city for study (as yet undecided but likely Beijing)..

For this estimate I only need living costs, do not include tuition, or accommodation.

So food, stationary, laundry etc.

Best estimates are find, actual averages from current or former students are also fine.

For terms of estimating - I don't smoke, I don't drink (or near enough to not at all) and I'm vegetarian.

Thanks in advance.

Troy

[valikor]

I think the range is pretty broad. If you wanted to, you could spend as little as 25 RMB a day on food. (Maybe less)

If you take public transportation wherever you go in Beijing, it's not likely to cost more than 50RMB per week.

The laundromats I've gone to have seemed fairly expensive, though you said you already have accomodation, and will likely have laundry available for cheap. I will take a random guess and say 20RMB per week.

Stationary, etc? You can buy 10 rolls of toilet paper for 25RMB, a bar of soap for 3RMB, I bought 50 gallons of drinking water for my apartment for 150 RMB, and they deliver it whenever I need more. Most things in China are cheap.

On the other hand, you could easily spend a lot of money, if you wanted to. The lunch I had today cost about 250RMB for 3 people. I wasn't paying And you could take lots of expensive taxi rides, and go to expensive clubs where 1 mediocre beer costs 30RMB.

[thewamphyri]

Thanks for your reply 'valikor'.

Anyone else have any other insight?

xiexie

[valikor]

You might get more replies if you were more specific. As I mentioned, it is a broad range, and therefore it is hard for anyone to give you a good answer. Of course, you can look up prices yourself on google.... though if you were more specific people would probably be happy to fill you in. So, what do you want to buy? An "average" day in Beijing is fairly meaningless, I think.

[thewamphyri]

I'm not sure how 'average day' is not clear. I realise I'm been broad - this because I want averages - no matter how wild - so I can calculate estimated costing for a year.

I have no details on a city - it depends on a scholarship. Based on my choice either Beijing or Nanjing.

My question is basically:

"As a 'student' what can I expect to get by on, on average, per day, i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, transport (yes travel varies by distance, and type, I'm well aware two trips on a Beijing train are 2CNY - but I have no idea on buses or taxies)."

I realise laundry isn't a 'per day' cost, so I can see the issue for offer amount there (and stationary), but figures (as you supplied are helpful, as I can just add and divide them).

I have been to China, I know prices vary by city (but not a great deal in my experience - and for me it was only 'cities'), and have an idea what food is worth - but I have no idea what uni cafe food costs, or what a real 'cost' for food is long term (travelling means I can spend more, because the time is shorter) - I'm also some what aware of basic transport costs (and that really varies by city!).

I found this site because I searched for such information - there is not really a lot out there unfortunately, and most relates to travel - which while helpful, doesn't really translate to 'actual' living.

Thanks anyhow for your info.