I'm trying to get a clear picture of what cost of living is in Qingdao and I would also like to get perspective on how the health care system works in China. I'm hoping someone who currently lives there can respond with budget info. We are a family of four, so I'm hoping to hear from teachers with kids, but all info is helpful.
rent
utilities
gym membership
grocery
eating out
airfare to SE Asia
airfare to US
etc.
Health care in China- Is it typically out of pocket even if you have insurance?
Thanks so much!
Do you live in Qingdao? COL + Health Care
Reply
The cost of living is VERY low, its not thailand, but its pretty close. Imports cost more then in locations such as Beijing:
Here are some average costs in RMB:
Restaurants:
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 20.00 ¥
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 50.00 ¥
Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar 23.00 ¥
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) 10.00 ¥
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) 40.00 ¥
Cappuccino (regular) 30.00 ¥
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) 10.00 ¥
Water (0.33 liter bottle) 3.00 ¥
Markets:
Milk (regular), 1 liter 23.00 ¥
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) 11.31 ¥
Rice (1kg) 5.00 ¥
Eggs (12) 14.00 ¥
Local Cheese (1kg) 102.00 ¥
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) 20.00 ¥
Apples (1kg) 8.00 ¥
Oranges (1kg) 8.00 ¥
Tomato (1kg) 9.00 ¥
Potato (1kg) 8.00 ¥
Lettuce (1 head) 6.00 ¥
Water (1.5 liter bottle) 3.00 ¥
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 70.00 ¥
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 5.00 ¥
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) 12.00 ¥
Transportation:
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 2.00 ¥
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) 3.50 ¥
Utilities:
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment 200.00 ¥
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) 1.00 ¥
Internet (6 Mbps, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 84.00 Â¥Â
Sports And Leisure:
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult 600 ¥
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) 60.00 ¥
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat 25.00 ¥
Clothing And Shoes:
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) 331.00 ¥
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) 189.00 ¥
1 Pair of Nike Shoes 324.00 ¥
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes 200.00 ¥
Rent Per Month:
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 1,500.00 ¥
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 800.00 ¥
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 3,000.00 ¥
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 1300.00 ¥
Airfare to the states is about $600 USD one way, off peak season between major airports. Domestic airfare is pretty cheap, though train is cheaper, about 200 ¥ to major tourist areas in China (such as Beijing) and about 1000 ¥ to places like HK, and 1600 ¥ to Bangkok or Singapore. Honestly, i couldnt give you prices other then broad generalizations. Youd pay 5x-10x more traveling during lunar new year for example.
Healthcare depends a lot on your schools health care scheme and policy. Usually you pay out of pocket and get reimbursed for outpatient/clinic treatment. Hospitalization is usually at a preferred carrier, where there is a payment arrangement with the insurance. If your taken to a hospital out of the carrier network its the same, you pay and get reimbursed. How big the carrier network is, is what makes all the difference. Understand that even world wide plans offered in China almost all of them exclude the USA. Ambulances in China are little more then transportation vans, they dont carry advance life support and they do not get much more medical training then basic first aid.
In many cases outpatient/clinic treatment is so inexpensive its not worth getting reimbursed. Pharmacies are able to provide many prescriptions themselves that would require a doctor visit in the USA. So if you get a a respiratory infection the pharmacy can give you Paracetamol (with codeine even) and amoxicilan without seeing a doctor.
In China their is a lot of title inflation. So a "doctor" is more likely to be a nurse, and if you want someone with a real medical degree you would want the "head of______ department". Doctors dont do the vast majority of heavy lifting in China, they do the diagnosis and consultation and then leave it to lessor trained medical staff to actually perform the procedure.
Here are some average costs in RMB:
Restaurants:
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 20.00 ¥
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 50.00 ¥
Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar 23.00 ¥
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) 10.00 ¥
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) 40.00 ¥
Cappuccino (regular) 30.00 ¥
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) 10.00 ¥
Water (0.33 liter bottle) 3.00 ¥
Markets:
Milk (regular), 1 liter 23.00 ¥
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) 11.31 ¥
Rice (1kg) 5.00 ¥
Eggs (12) 14.00 ¥
Local Cheese (1kg) 102.00 ¥
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) 20.00 ¥
Apples (1kg) 8.00 ¥
Oranges (1kg) 8.00 ¥
Tomato (1kg) 9.00 ¥
Potato (1kg) 8.00 ¥
Lettuce (1 head) 6.00 ¥
Water (1.5 liter bottle) 3.00 ¥
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 70.00 ¥
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 5.00 ¥
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) 12.00 ¥
Transportation:
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 2.00 ¥
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) 3.50 ¥
Utilities:
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment 200.00 ¥
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) 1.00 ¥
Internet (6 Mbps, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 84.00 Â¥Â
Sports And Leisure:
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult 600 ¥
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) 60.00 ¥
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat 25.00 ¥
Clothing And Shoes:
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) 331.00 ¥
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) 189.00 ¥
1 Pair of Nike Shoes 324.00 ¥
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes 200.00 ¥
Rent Per Month:
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 1,500.00 ¥
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 800.00 ¥
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 3,000.00 ¥
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 1300.00 ¥
Airfare to the states is about $600 USD one way, off peak season between major airports. Domestic airfare is pretty cheap, though train is cheaper, about 200 ¥ to major tourist areas in China (such as Beijing) and about 1000 ¥ to places like HK, and 1600 ¥ to Bangkok or Singapore. Honestly, i couldnt give you prices other then broad generalizations. Youd pay 5x-10x more traveling during lunar new year for example.
Healthcare depends a lot on your schools health care scheme and policy. Usually you pay out of pocket and get reimbursed for outpatient/clinic treatment. Hospitalization is usually at a preferred carrier, where there is a payment arrangement with the insurance. If your taken to a hospital out of the carrier network its the same, you pay and get reimbursed. How big the carrier network is, is what makes all the difference. Understand that even world wide plans offered in China almost all of them exclude the USA. Ambulances in China are little more then transportation vans, they dont carry advance life support and they do not get much more medical training then basic first aid.
In many cases outpatient/clinic treatment is so inexpensive its not worth getting reimbursed. Pharmacies are able to provide many prescriptions themselves that would require a doctor visit in the USA. So if you get a a respiratory infection the pharmacy can give you Paracetamol (with codeine even) and amoxicilan without seeing a doctor.
In China their is a lot of title inflation. So a "doctor" is more likely to be a nurse, and if you want someone with a real medical degree you would want the "head of______ department". Doctors dont do the vast majority of heavy lifting in China, they do the diagnosis and consultation and then leave it to lessor trained medical staff to actually perform the procedure.
As someone who is living in China right now, I can tell you that the cost of living is rising all the time.
Vegetables are pretty cheap. Fruit, not so much. Milk and bread keep going up. Imports are more expensive than they are at home. The few times I've seen cranberry juice, it's been close to $15 a bottle. Meat is pretty reasonable.
As for health care, the Chinese system is awful. Chinese hospitals, with a few exceptions, are dirty, crowded, and unhygienic. That being said, no decent international school would expect you to go to a Chinese hospital. We have very good health insurance (that is accepted in the US) and we don't wait for reimbursement. Instead we have low co-pays and access to Western clinics with Western trained doctors. Do not take a job at a school that only gives you worthless, local health insurance.
A meal in a Chinese restaurant could be as low as 15 RMB (some dumplings), but expect to pay between 15-30 per dish at most restaurants. Western restaurants will set you back. Our average bill at one is about 150-200 RMB. For delivery, it's usually between 200-250 RMB.
Airfare around China is usually between $150-300 after tax, depending on where you're going and when you're flying. Trains and buses are significantly cheaper, but we no longer use them. Airfare to SE Asia can run anywhere from $200-800, again for the same reasons. Airfare to the US is generally $1200-1500 roundtrip.
At our school, rent is covered. Utilities don't come to much and we paid upfront for internet for the entire year, which was something like $100.
Budget in extra-curriculars for your children. Many schools often Saturday sports programs (swimming, soccer) and other activities that you'll want to pay for.
You can live super frugally if you only eat at Chinese restaurants, never buy Western imports, never buy clothing or electronics, and never do... well, much. We're saving money, sure, but we're hardly "living like a king," as people love to say. And yes, we have a child. If you have any other questions, ask away.
ETA: I take back what I said about Qingdao in other posts. I was just there recently (was there last year previously) to chaperon a school trip. The city is dirty, dusty and horribly, horribly polluted.
Vegetables are pretty cheap. Fruit, not so much. Milk and bread keep going up. Imports are more expensive than they are at home. The few times I've seen cranberry juice, it's been close to $15 a bottle. Meat is pretty reasonable.
As for health care, the Chinese system is awful. Chinese hospitals, with a few exceptions, are dirty, crowded, and unhygienic. That being said, no decent international school would expect you to go to a Chinese hospital. We have very good health insurance (that is accepted in the US) and we don't wait for reimbursement. Instead we have low co-pays and access to Western clinics with Western trained doctors. Do not take a job at a school that only gives you worthless, local health insurance.
A meal in a Chinese restaurant could be as low as 15 RMB (some dumplings), but expect to pay between 15-30 per dish at most restaurants. Western restaurants will set you back. Our average bill at one is about 150-200 RMB. For delivery, it's usually between 200-250 RMB.
Airfare around China is usually between $150-300 after tax, depending on where you're going and when you're flying. Trains and buses are significantly cheaper, but we no longer use them. Airfare to SE Asia can run anywhere from $200-800, again for the same reasons. Airfare to the US is generally $1200-1500 roundtrip.
At our school, rent is covered. Utilities don't come to much and we paid upfront for internet for the entire year, which was something like $100.
Budget in extra-curriculars for your children. Many schools often Saturday sports programs (swimming, soccer) and other activities that you'll want to pay for.
You can live super frugally if you only eat at Chinese restaurants, never buy Western imports, never buy clothing or electronics, and never do... well, much. We're saving money, sure, but we're hardly "living like a king," as people love to say. And yes, we have a child. If you have any other questions, ask away.
ETA: I take back what I said about Qingdao in other posts. I was just there recently (was there last year previously) to chaperon a school trip. The city is dirty, dusty and horribly, horribly polluted.
Rice tripled in price over the 5 years I was there. Then again, village vs city prices and quality accounted for some difference.
I'm considering a post in China again, since I'm tired of putting up with crap and making a pittance, and living in a dump. I would rather be well compensated and put up with the same. At least the food was better in China.
I'm considering a post in China again, since I'm tired of putting up with crap and making a pittance, and living in a dump. I would rather be well compensated and put up with the same. At least the food was better in China.