Expatriate Forums in China

swj11984

Hi everyone, I am a recent college graduate (2007) with a Bachlor of Science degree and I've been working for a multinational corporation out of our US Headquarters for 1.5 years. I am of Chinese descent and perfectly fluent in both English and Mandarin. Recently, I got a job offer from our China office which is located in Plaza 66 on Nanjing Road. (I think that's the downtown area, not sure.) They are offering me a monthly housing allowance of RMB8,000 and a monthly salary of RMB20,000. I am a single guy with no attachments. I am hoping to find a contemporarily furnished apartment in the downtown area that's within walking distance to work. Is RMB8,000/month enough for me to consider different options that match with my preference? Also, I have no problem eating the local food but would want to have the flexibility of going out to clubs/bars, eating at nice restaurants etc from time to time. Is the offered monthly salary adequate enough for me to have that kind of life style in Shanghai? or should I ask for more?

I've never lived or worked in Shanghai, so I don't know much about the living standard there or the pay scale for expats. If anyone is kind enough to help me get a better picture of what I am getting myself into, I'd really appreciate it!!!!

sahana_kumar

Hi I have been to Shanghai a couple of times on Business and since I am working on Expat related services, had the opportunity to gain knowledge in this field. Personally I feel 8000 is on the lower side. It is difficult to get a one bed room fully furnished apartment for that money. There are localities where local chinese reside and you might be able to secure a place, but you cant expect it to be posh.

Secondly, Shanghai is one of the costliest Cities in the world and u can compare it to New York, Tokyo or Mumbai for that matter. Food at Mc Donalds might be cheaper but not at upscale restaurants and bars.

May be you can splurge your money once or twice a month, but not on all weekends as i guess you would need to save also.

Regards, Raghu

Patrice · Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 11:24 am Post subject:

Shanghai comparable to Tokyo?
I think you might want to revise your knowledge on cost of living...
If the accommodation budget might be a bit tight, with 20000 RMB you can easily pay for living expenses of a 5-person family.
Restaurants as expensive as in Europe? No way! Maybe if you go to Pudong Shangri la/Sofitel restaurants?
there are plenty of Western restaurant where you can have a nice dinner for 150rmb/pax. And for this price you can get a dinner at a very good Chinese restaurant.

To give you a rough idea of the comparable cost of living for expats: http://www.mercer.com/costofliving
This ranking is used by many companies (including mine) to calculate packages. And knowing the lodging is one of the most costly part of living in shanghai, you can guess the rest is quite cheap.

ExpatAdmin · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:27 pm Post subject:

Would you say that someone moving from France to Beijing on an expat assignment need not be given any Cost of living allowance as it is lower than that of France.

I have heard mixed views from people in the forum.

ExpatAdmin · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject:

Would you say that someone moving from France to Beijing on an expat assignment need not be given any Cost of living allowance as it is lower than that of France.

I have heard mixed views from people in the forum.

ExpatAdmin · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:29 pm Post subject: France to Beijing COLA

Would you say that someone moving from France to Beijing on an expat assignment need not be given any Cost of living allowance as it is lower than that of France.

I have heard mixed views from people in the forum.

ExpatAdmin · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:29 pm Post subject: France to Beijing COLA