Prices in China for food, housing, entertainment and transportation

Citizens of many states are thinking about arranging their lives in the PRC. Doing business and work in this country seems promising, the standard of living is high, and prices in China are affordable for a person even with a small income. Having once visited the Middle Kingdom, tourists, as a rule, return here because even a few visits will not be enough to get acquainted with the historical values ​​and local culture. And, of course, everyone hopes that they will find what they are looking for in this country.

Living standards in the PRC

The last decades can be safely called the era of reforms in the country. Due to the restructuring of industries, life in China has improved significantly for service workers and public sector workers, and not just for highly skilled workers in factories and plants. However, there is still a lack of work, food and medical care in rural areas and villages.

The most promising for life are considered to be:

• Hong Kong island. Suffice it to say that the per capita GDP of this isolated administrative center amounted to $ 46,080 / year in the middle of 2021;
• Shanghai. A metropolitan resident accounts for more than $ 20,000 of GDP;
• Beijing. The size of the GDP in the capital of the PRC is $ 450 billion / year;
• Tianjin. The value of GDP reached $ 161.5 billion / year.

In general, the standard of living of a resident of China depends on the sphere of his activity.

Prices in China for food

The PRC is a large country, and the prices for food in stores in different regions may differ markedly. The table shows averaged indicators, dollars / rubles.

In the markets, prices are 20-30% lower.

Tourists, as a rule, only have breakfast in the hotel restaurant, where they rent a room, and after excursions they satisfy their hunger in catering establishments. In principle, this approach to organizing meals does not significantly increase the cost of living in China for Russians compared to the option of preparing meals for lunch and dinner on their own. Moreover, Chinese catering organizations usually serve large portions of hearty food. But the level of expenses depends on the category of the institution in which the decision was made to eat. Let's consider this issue in more detail.

• Street points. Their assortment includes various pastries and exotic dishes. A snack with first and dessert will cost about ¥ 30 (about RUR 290). By the way, the same amount will have to be paid for lunch or dinner at McDonald’s.
• A cafe. Prices in such establishments, which belong to the middle class, can be safely called democratic. Moreover, the further to the periphery of the country, the cheaper food is. In support of this, we present data on how much a lunch in Hainan costs in one of the cafes of the Yalunwan Bay: on average, one person will have to pay € 2.5-4 (¥ 19-30). For comparison, in Beijing, the cost of an inexpensive lunch is approximately € 4.27 (¥ 32.16). The most popular dishes among tourists are soups, dumplings and pasta with meat. Lunch is usually washed down with tea.
• Restaurants. A complex dinner in this type of establishment will cost one person no less than ¥ 100. For this money, he will receive beef or chicken meat with a side dish and dessert. If you approach the evening meal with imagination, then you will need to pay more. For example, only one serving of shrimp on skewers costs ¥ 60.

Housing price level

The economy of the Celestial Empire in 2021 is one of the most reliable and stable. Therefore, real estate in China is growing in value. The table contains information relevant to the largest cities in the country.

What is the charge for utilities in China, you can find out by examining the following table:

In total, housing and communal services will cost about 280 yuan / month. ($ 41.6). And in a prestigious area, a little over $ 100.

Transportation costs

Those who travel on their own should be aware that public transport in China has its own characteristics. In particular, passengers enter the cabin through the front door of any type of vehicle - a bus, trolleybus or tram, and exit, respectively, into the back.

The fare depends on the distance, but the cost of the ticket rarely exceeds:

• for intracity routes ¥ 5;
• for intercity routes ¥ 20.

A monthly bus pass costs 200 RMB.

The cost of a metro ticket is also a derivative of the distance. For example, the price of a ride on the Guangzhou subway ranges from 2 to 12 yuan. And the minimum cost of a ticket to the Beijing subway is ¥ 3.

For tourists planning to rent a car, it is important to know how much gasoline costs in China (prices are in yuan):

• A98 - 6.76 / l;
• A95 - 6.35 / l;
• A92 - 5.62 / l;
• A80 - 4.89 / l.

Let's take a look at the cost of taxi services in Beijing. Landing will cost ¥ 13, and a kilometer traveled on the roads - ¥ 2.3. Rates for travel on holidays or at night are increasing.

Education costs

China's educational reform in the 1980s introduced compulsory primary education. And in the 90s, 9-year education also became compulsory.

In general, the education system in China includes the following levels:

• Preschool. Children from 3 to 5 years old study according to its programs. The cost of staying in a private kindergarten can reach ¥ 2,000 / month, and in a public one - about ¥ 600-800 / month.
• School. Prices in schools that accept foreign students for education differ in different cities of the country. For example, in Tianjin the minimum cost of a semester of study is almost ¥ 21,520 ($ 3,200), in Shanghai - ¥ 33,624 ($ 5,000), and in Beijing ¥ 26,900 ($ 4,000).
• Higher. The actual prices for training in some universities in China are presented in the table.

Prices in China for clothes and shoes

Few of our compatriots, once in China, will refuse to make the necessary acquisitions. After all, a comparison of prices in China and Russia for things ultimately leads to the conclusion about the benefits of shopping in the Middle Kingdom.

Of course, there, too, the cost of products of world brands is at the European level. But in the rapidly developing republic, local enterprises have appeared that produce competitive clothing and footwear.

Here's how much clothes from local manufacturers Fun Time and Sprandi cost:

• dresses - 120-150 ¥ (1 153-1441.5 ₽);
• T-shirts - 8-10 ¥ (77-96 ₽);
• jeans - 100-130 ¥ (961-1249 ₽).

Prices for shoes are no less attractive:

• women's and men's shoes - 70-80 ¥ (673-769 ₽);
• sneakers - from 50 ¥ (480.5 ₽).

All this has led to the fact that shopping tours even from Moscow to China have become very popular lately.

The cost of equipment and services of providers

In recent years, the electronics of such Chinese brands as Lenovo, Huawei and Xiaomi have become very popular. Moreover, the last two mobile phone manufacturers ousted Apple from the top five suppliers.

Xiaomi marketers explain their low prices for equipment in China and in the world market by the fact that gadgets are sold at cost. And it is planned to make a profit on applications built into the MIUI shell, which runs on the Android OS.

So, you can buy, for example, the popular Xiaomi9 Snapdragon model for $ 550 (35 614 ₽), which is much lower than the price of a similarly functional sample of a smartphone from Apple.

Internet connection in China can be difficult for the user. Public Wi-Fi networks are available in cafes and hotels. But the connection is very slow: it can take more than one minute to load the page.

In some regions, 4G signal quality is noticeably lower than 3G. Therefore, you should heed the recommendations of experienced tourists. They advise installing a local 3G Internet card on some gadgets, and a 4G card on others in order to have access to the network regardless of current location.

Now about the prices. They are different for different Internet providers. Below is the cost of services (in dollars) of the most popular companies in China.

And a few words about television. In China, the Pay TV segment is dominated by Chinese companies, while American companies are losing ground.

Leading in the ranking of China Radio & TV. At the end of 2021, its services were used by 227 million subscribers. And by 2021 it is planned to cover more than 251.65 million households.

Average cost indicators of access to digital TV channels:

• connection fee is charged in the amount of about 800 ¥ (7 704.5 ₽);
• you need to pay approximately 26 ¥ (250.4 ₽) for a monthly subscription.

Leisure cost

Fascinating excursions to the sights of the country, as well as all kinds of entertainment, await those who come to rest in China. Where you need to go, while in Beijing, you will learn from the table:

In the largest and equally wealthy city of the PRC - Shanghai - there is also something to see for a tourist from Europe.

Other expenses

All travelers bring from the countries they have visited, something for themselves, as well as souvenirs for friends and close relatives. In China, you can find many things that are saturated with the atmosphere of this country and reflect its oriental traditions.

• Silk. This material is used to sew scarves, shirts, robes, blouses, bed linen, which depicts tigers, hieroglyphs, landscapes and dragons. The dressing gown will cost about ¥ 700, which in terms of the Russian currency is 6,741 rubles.
• Jewelry. First of all, we are talking about pearl jewelry. In China, he's just great. Pearl beads are usually sold without a clasp. But the seller himself will help the client to pick it up right on the spot. A thread costs ¥ 50 on average. And the price of the silver chain is only ¥ 20 (193 ₽).
• Porcelain. On store shelves you can find porcelain jugs, vases, tea pairs and dinner sets. A small figurine costs about 10-15 ¥ (96-144.5 ₽).
• Fan. Samples are available in large and small sizes. The first is usually placed on the wall, while the second is carried and fanned in hot weather. A pleasant aroma emanates from the sandalwood fan. It costs about 50 ¥ (481.5 ₽). A bamboo copy will cost 2 times cheaper.

Chinese tea, sets of seasonings and spices, unusual sweets, such as sweets stuffed with meat, will be an original purchase.

The difference in prices in different cities of China

It is difficult to answer which are the cheapest cities in China. There are too many criteria and settlements. Here are some examples:

• Baidahe is a resort town on the coast of the Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea. Average prices in catering establishments:
  • meat dishes cost up to ¥ 20 (193 ₽);
  • seafood - from 30 ¥ (289 ₽);
  • a portion of rice - 5 ¥ (48 ₽);
  • salads - 8 ¥ (77 ₽).
• In Sanya, the southernmost urban district of the PRC:
  • Breakfast in the cafe - salad and dumplings - will cost 18 ¥ (173 ₽).
  • Lunch at a noodle house - 20-30 ¥ (193-288.66 rubles).
• Shenzhen. Located in the south of China in Guangdong province. The average prices for catering establishments in Shenzhen are as follows:
  • 3-course lunch for 2 people in a restaurant –155 ¥ (1492 ₽);
  • meals at a mid-level restaurant –26 ¥ (248.5 ₽);
• Average prices in Beijing:
  • dinner at a restaurant for 2 people with alcohol –163 ¥ (1570.5 ₽);
  • inexpensive lunch for one person –32 ¥ (311 ₽).

Information on prices for hotel services:

The cost of living in another metropolis of the PRC - in Shanghai - is about the same as in hotels in Beijing. Therefore, consider budget housing:

• In hostels remote from the center, you can find a bed for 53 ¥ (509.5 ₽).
• In hostels located near the center - for ¥ 75.5 ($ 11).
• For a place in a hostel located in the center of Shanghai, you will have to pay an average of 104 ¥ (1000 ₽).

Suifenhe is a city in Heilongjiang province near the border with Primorsky Krai. Experts classify it as cheap in terms of the cost of housing. In Suifenhe, you can buy a decent apartment with a total area of ​​about 50 m2 for 20-30 thousand dollars, which is comparable to the price of a room in communal housing in Khabarovsk or Vladivostok.

Conclusion

Shopping (things, equipment) is better done in the capital of the PRC than in Shanghai. You can profitably buy quality products from local producers.

Food prices in Chinese markets are 20-30% lower than in supermarkets. Do not hesitate to bargain, and the seller will definitely give you one and a half yuan, or even more.

When settling in a rented accommodation, read carefully the small text about the hotel or apartment. Usually there is information about additional taxes, amounting to 12-16%.