Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner but if there's been one thing I knew I'd miss about China, it's how cheap it is to live there. I've had one of the most incredible years living and working in the Middle Kingdom and have been afforded so many great opportunities to travel and explore a such a rich culture - but it couldn't be done had I have been on the same salary in the UK, even if it wasn't London.
Let me break it down.
- Average cost of one journey on the subway in Tianjin: 2元 (20p)
- Start rate of a taxi journey: 8元 (80p) with additional 1.7元 per km
- Average cost of a typical A to B taxi journey in Tianjin: 21元 (£2.10)
- Cost of a bowl of noodles: 18元 (£1.80)
I could go on, but it depresses me that I'm not dealing with these prices any more now I'm back in London. It genuinely hurts my soul every time I tap my oyster card...
As I've mentioned a lot in the blog, I've travelled a lot in China and beyond this past year. The prices for domestic flights are reasonable considering the distance covered across the vast country. Even then, if you fancy 'slumming it' for something cheaper, long distance buses or overnight trains are often even cheaper than flights. Even bullet trains are cheap (only 54元 to get from Tianjin to Beijing in a quick 30 minute bullet train - just a fiver to get to the capital!). It's really not hard to get around in China on a budget and it's because of this that I've been able to tick off quite a few places on my China list.
Pins of all the places I've visited in the last year
Of course, it's worth mentioning that the living costs for each city in China varies. Those who want to live a more 'western' lifestyle will also end up paying the price for products that you can find in your home country. Still, I believe I found the right balance between living like a local, as well as indulging myself every now and then with more western comforts when I felt like it. So long as you keep an eye on what you're spending and weigh up the pros and cons about shelling out a little more on things like western branded chocolate, milk or cheese, it's easy to live a very comfortable lifestyle in China and enjoy all it has to offer. I'm already missing so much about China and having paid £1.10 for a bottle of Ribeana at my local Sainsbury's today, I realise that the cost of living in China is definitely up there on the list...
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