Monthly Archive for January, 2010

My cost of living in Shanghai is now the lowest it’s been since I moved to this city two years ago. This is after quitting smoking and drinking, and moving into a 70m² apartment in downtown with two chicks. Here’s a breakdown of my expense, with 1 U.S. Dollar being 6.83 Renminbi.

Rent: 1000 RMB/mo ($146/mo)
Utilities: ~300 RMB/mo (~$44/mo)
Ayi: 100 RMB/mo ($15/mo)
These are after splitting three ways. Normally I don’t like living with others but this really saves a lot of money. And both girls have good hygiene so I don’t mind. When I see piss on the rim of the toilet, I know it’s my own. I also like how the rooms smell nice. Not sure how we spend so much on utilities though.

Dinner: ~1100 RMB/mo (~$161/mo)
That’s an average of about 37 RMB per night for dinner, usually for two. No surprise, Chinese food in China is cheap. And in downtown Shanghai there are websites (in Chinese) where you can order from a huge list of local restaurants. No need for Sherpa’s, unless you’re a white guy without a Chinese girlfriend.

Lunch and snacks: ~500 RMB/mo (~$73/mo)
I’m a loner and usually have a simple lunch by myself. This ranges from 8 RMB for eight dumpling-like things to 30 RMB for a Subway’s sandwich of the day, foot-long. Once in a while I’ll have a sandwich from Pier 39, which is literally next door to where I work (for now), but nowadays I consider spending 45 RMB on a meal for one extravagant.

Commute: ~260 RMB/mo ($38/mo)
That’s for taking the metro everyday, and occasionally taking taxi. I’d actually get to work faster if I ride my bike or even walk the whole way but that’s too much leg exercise. I need to work on my belly, not my legs.

Well that’s about it for what I consider my “living expense.” Adding clothes and mobile phone service, and excluding miscellaneous spending like web hosting bills and flight tickets, the total’s about 3000 RMB or $439 each month. This works for me, and I imagine it would work for anyone who’s not married, isn’t a snob about food and shelter, and practices the Chinese art of Zhái. A great thing about Shanghai is you can be frugal and live a very comfortable life at the same time.

A couple links you might find useful:

• Shanghai cost of living — My post from October 2008, back when I lived in the boondocks, thought 100 RMB open bar was a good deal, and pretended to be social. Nowadays I have better things to do than see my friends.
• Living Cost in Shanghai (2007) — Wangjianshuo’s post, which says for the amount I’m paying for rent my place “must be a pretty old one, with smell, and dirt.” I’m sure he meant “must have character, aroma, and soil of the people.”