So I thought I would write a little bit about the cost of living in China. You may not be totally surprised to learn that basic requirements are stunningly cheap by comparison to back at home, however “luxury items” and imported western foods do demand a bit of a premium. You might be surprised what we miss most!
Types of Food
There are a number of different food and drink options in HangZhou, including the normal supermarket + cook at home. So besides eating at home, there are the following options – street vendor food, take away/fast food (western and eastern) and restaurant eating.
Shopping
Coke and soft drinks are amazingly (disturbingly) cheap. A can of Coke costs about 2 RMB (about AUD 0.30c), a pack of individually wrapped Dove chocolate costs about 12 RMB (less than AUD $2). However, western foods cost a lot more. A jar of pasta sauce costs roughly 35 RMB which is about AUD $5.80, a box of cereal (e.g. Corn Flakes) can cost between 24 – 48 RMB, about AUD $4-$8. A large piece of Atlantic Salmon costs about 48 RMB (AUD $7.60) and (400gms) beef mince costs as low as 10-14 RMB (or around AUD $2.0).
Occasionally some of this goes on sale, but this should give you a general guide. Fresh fruit and vegetables are too cheap to mention, Toni can pick up a weeks’ worth of vegetables for about 40 RMB (less than $AUD 8).
Eating Out
Street vendor food is the cheapest option, really starting from a few RMB upwards. Most meals seem to be around or less than 10 RMB which is roughly AUD $1.50. The quality and health standards vary considerably, so it’s best to be very picky about from where the food is purchased.
There are also vendors who have moved into “premises”. They charge a little bit more, but are not exposed as directly to the elements. A lot of Chinese eat at such establishments, and can eat for very little. A lunchtime favourite consists of rice cakes, sauce , egg and bean sprouts and is usually priced at about 5 RMB a serving (less than AUD $1).
The next step up is fast food. There are eastern and western fast food equivalents, and they range from KFC, McDonalds etc to some interesting food chains local to China (Bruce Lee’s, Uncle Wu) and even some Japanese chains, like Ajimen Ramen. The prices are a little higher – for two people expect to part with about 40-60 RMB which is under AUD $10.
Finally, restaurants which vary widely. There are Chinese run restaurants which are still considerably affordable (feeding three people for lunch for around 100 RMB/AUD $15 is easy). There are western restaurants (which are usually a lot more pricey) and high end cuisine (> 200 RMB for two people for dinner).
It has to be said that China loves food, and has embraced all types of cuisine. Whilst the quality varies, so do the prices and it is easy to live cheaply. It is also possible to splurge on fine dining options, including Italian, French and International cuisine.
Last week we ordered some of the most brilliant lamb cutlets in a home made mint sauce and it cost us 78 RMB (AUD $12.30). Good luck finding that quality in a top restaurant back home for that price! Exceptional coffee can also be sourced, single origin such as Brazilian, Colombian and the like can set you back as much as 58 RMB but usually includes a free cake selection.
In conclusion, we love the food options!