How Much Can I Save in China?
Many people assume that in order to save, they would need to live a very restrained lifestyle. This is not quite the case, but careful spending will go a long way to helping you save that much more. Finding teaching jobs in China is pretty easy, but finding a good school or training centre that pays on time, is reliable and does not engage in illegal visa activities may be harder.
Tier Systems
Where you live would make a big difference to the kind of savings you can make and the spending you would have to use. There is a tier system for all cities in China as a point of reference for different economical level that vary by city. Bigger metropolitan cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen etc are classified as tier 1 and normally have higher living costs regarding rent, food etc. However, keep in mind that normally the salary is much higher there too so consider the question of “How Much Can I Save in China” as a balancing act. Tier 2 cities are normally located near to tier 1 cities and are usually normal capital cities in a province or developing economic conditions. Tier 3 are usually smaller.
| City Tier | Salary (USD) | Cost of Living (USD) | Rent (USD) |
| Tier 1 Cities | $2,100 ~ $2,800 | $1,000 ~$1,500 | $400 ~ $600 |
| New Tier 1 Cities | $,1400~$2,120 | $700 ~ $1,100 | $283 ~ $424 |
| Tier 2 Cities | $1,400~$1,840 | $560 ~ $1,000 | $212 ~ $424 |
| Tier 3 Cities | $1,100 ~ $1,420 | $420 ~ $570 | $141 ~ $353 |
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Our tips for saving
- Eat and shop locally
- Use public transport
- Track your spending
- Work overtime whenever possible
- Find tutoring jobs in your free time
- Plan your week
We recommend this useful tool for finding how much it may cost