China is often seen as a relatively affordable country, especially when compared with some Western destinations.But living in Shanghai with two children can tell a very different story.An Indian woman living in the city has shared a look at her family’s monthly budget, and the total has surprised plenty of people online. According to Aditi Sharma, her family of four spends around ₹9.81 lakh every month.And no, that doesn’t mean everyone living in China needs nearly ₹10 lakh a month.Sharma herself pointed that out in a video shared on Instagram.
Where does the money go?
The family’s biggest expenses are pretty easy to guess: rent and international school fees.Their Shanghai home costs around 25,000 yuan a month, which she puts at roughly ₹3.5 lakh.Then there’s school.Her children attend an international school, adding another 25,000 yuan, or around ₹3.5 lakh, every month to the family’s expenses.Together, those two costs already account for about ₹7 lakh.The rest goes towards the things that make up everyday family life.The family spends around 5,000 yuan (₹70,750) on groceries each month. Domestic help costs them more than ₹1 lakh, while utilities come to around 1,500 yuan (₹21,230).Public transport is relatively smaller at about 700 yuan, or ₹10,000 a month.Then come the extras.The children’s entertainment and extracurricular activities cost around 1,500 yuan (₹21,230), while eating out and shopping take up another 4,000 yuan, or about ₹56,650.Put it all together and the monthly figure comes to approximately ₹9.81 lakh.
‘This isn’t a general guide to Shanghai’
Sharma was quick to make one thing clear: her family’s spending shouldn’t be taken as the standard cost of living in China.Sharing the figures on Instagram, she explained that the family’s lifestyle, choice of school and location all affect the total.She also said they don’t receive an expat allowance from an employer, although their medical insurance covers 100% of their medical expenses.And rent, she pointed out, can vary hugely depending on where someone lives.That’s probably the biggest takeaway here.Shanghai isn’t the same as living in a smaller Chinese city, just as living in Mumbai isn’t the same as living in a smaller Indian town.
Social media users debate the cost
The video sparked plenty of discussion, particularly among people who had assumed China was generally cheap.One user said they had a similar experience after moving to Beijing, while another pointed out that Shanghai’s rents and international schools can be extremely expensive.Someone else argued that China may feel much more affordable for expats when their employers cover major costs such as housing and school fees.Another commenter offered a different perspective, saying that smaller cities can be considerably cheaper than Shanghai and Beijing.And that’s where the conversation gets interesting.China can be affordable in some places, but Shanghai is a major global city. For a family choosing international schooling, a sizeable home, domestic help and regular leisure spending, the monthly bill can climb very quickly.So, is China cheap?There isn’t really one answer. It depends heavily on where you live and, perhaps more importantly, how you choose to live.
