Hello! I'm currently considering an english teaching position in Kunming that would pay 3500RMB/month. Housing and chinese lesson expenses would be covered by the school. What would the standard of living by like with that amount? I'm not expecting to live like a king, but would I be able to be comfortable or would I just be scraping by? I'd be responsible for paying for transportation, food, utilities etc., but I don't go out at night that much so that wouldn't be a factor. Please help me out here and let me know what you think! =)

Thanks!

Laura

Short; You will eat and drink quite well.

Long; Part of the standard of living costs in Kunming are determined by how much you wish to pay for rent. You can pay more and live in a nice modern centrally located complex with western toilet and electric hot water. As you don't seem to know what type of housing you will be receiving or are just willing to take whatever the school provides, then the rest of your standard of living is mostly determined by how well you eat and drink. After deducting internet, mobile, transportation, and utilities, you should easily have around 3k rmb per month for food and drink, which is quite a lot for Kunming. You can eat local Chinese food for less than 30rmb a day. Other expenses are all within in your control more or less, such as eating Western food or traveling to other parts of Yunnan. Maybe not the traveling to other parts of Yunnan, since that's why a lot of people choose to come to Kunming.

I'll put it in perspective for you. I manage an English school, and our teachers make 150 an hour. That means if our teachers were to work 5.5 hours(1 day) a week they would make the same salary as you. If they work 8-9 hours, they would make the same and be able to choose a high quality apt.(that is less than 2 days a week)

Sean

Let me also note, qualified people feel 150 an hour is a bit low. IE, dont take that job. come here first on a tourist visa, search around. (please delete previous posts)

sean1 makes a good point. You should factor into your standard of living how many hours and how many students will be in your class to earn your 3500rmb with housing and chinese lessons. Also, since the school is providing the latter, you're left with x factors on the quality of those, unless you have checked things out for yourself already.

Where is the school?

It could be a long way out, which would affect your quality of life, and transportation costs. You could be very isolated.

If the campus is reasonably modern they can be OK even if spartan. However, I have seem some accom that would not be considered fit for human habitation in Europe.

Is it a self contained apartment or are you sharing?

If you are in the downtown and the pay is this low, watch out. This is the very bottom of the pay scale. This may be a red flag. Chinese employers do not have the best reputation, if they are heading for the lowest standard of pay, they may also have the lowest standards in other areas.

Is it a private school? If so don't get on the plane without a visa in your passport first.

I think you can post the name of the school on here, and if there is a problem that is known, someone can PM you.

it's enough to get by ok, but it's a shitty salary. unless you absolutely must be in kunming, given that the air quality is deteriorating, why not go to shenzhen? same shitty air, but much higher salaries.

My understanding 3,500 rmb monthly is standard Yunnan Public college salary for english teachers no matter where you are in Yunnan. If you need sunshine Kunming and Dali are places that are pretty much sunny all the time in winter. I lived in many other cities in southern china for 2 winters and found that out the hard way.

I'd say you'd be close to the "scraping by" standard of living. That said, I believe many of us who came to China were stuck on a lowly income for the first year. Most people find ways to double or triple that if they choose to stay longer. I don't recommend working in the public school system though. Your hourly pay is usually in the range of 30-40 yuan and that sucks. There'll be plenty of office hours, correcting homework and preparation so you'll be quite busy until you get the hang of it. You should be able to find a private ESL school paying almost double the 3500 these days for a lot less work. Either way you can supplement your income by tutoring.

If you get free housing and tuition, 3500 is enough to live like a duke or at least a lowly baron... I don't understand the people who claims that you'd just barely 'get by', I get by perfectly fine on -much- less:

Excluding rent and tuition fee, I basically live for less than 2500, probably more along the line of 2000 RMB, per month in Kunming. I pay 750 per month for a room, but there are cheaper accomodation available, even in the city center, though the standard of those rooms is not western so to speak. I eat like a king, going to nice restaurants quite regularly, having good hole-in-the-wall budget restaurant food all the other times, but here's the trick: I very seldom eat -western- food, or buy beers in clubs and (centrally located) bars, because that's what really costs a fortune. I don't take cabs, using the public buses whenever possible. If I need stuff, I buy it in the second hand markets. When I go to cinemas, I go to the cheapest screenings, which are often half the price compared to prime-time. If I go clubbing, I do it like we do it anyhow in Sweden, which is to build up a sound foundation of alcohol in the blood at home before you leave, which'll save you a fortune in drinking money, plus, this is China, unless you go to a super-laowai place like Moondog/Mask, chinese people will be giving you free beers before the night is over. Also, never forget the wonder that is a student card, and that, at many tourist sights, there are...ways...to avoid the ridiculous admission fees.

This is also excluding travelling in Yunnan, but that can easily be factored into the remaining 1000 RMB, and should absolutely not be missed because Yunnan is godawesome. For cheapest possible travel it's adviced to travel in groups with an even amount of people, as that means you can stay in the very cheapest hotel rooms (shabby doubles), and split the cost for them. Hitchhiking is very easy in China, and it's possible to hitchhike for very vast distances, but trains and buses are not -that- expensive, and for travelling just in Yunnan a thousand per month is by far more than enough, provided you're prepared to couchsurf, stay in hostels and super cheap hotels.