Moving to Beijing

Hi,

For one bedroom, depending on location will cost from 10k to 13krmb/mth. This is for a decent one bedroom with proper facility and decor. Most accommodation in BJ is fairly low, not properly styled and poorly maintained. Rental will form the bulk of your living expenses. Taxi fare ranges below rmb50 per ride. As a communist country, utility cost for water/elect/mobile can be kept very low. You need to buy drinking water that cost about 23rmb per barrel. Elect bill is mostly for aircon/heater, cost about 300-400rmb/mth, depending on consumption. Mobile plan without international call is about 600-800rmb for 6 mths for a decent plan ( more than enough local calltime/sms/data). You need to check out the personal tax, you need to pay out of the rmb75k/mth. The tax may be rather high.

Gabriel hi,

feel free to PM me if you need assistance.

75,000RMB is a very generous salary especially since I understand that you will be one person with no need to pay school fees.

Happy to point you in the direction of a few websites of reputable Estate Agents so that you can see for yourself the cost of decent - high end housing. Depending on your taste and location choice I guestimate that you will find a one bedroom place in an Expat popular housing complex for between 15,000 - 25,000RMB per month including the local gym & pool, winter heating and official tax invoice (fapiao).  Note, plenty of decent cheaper housing also available for well under those figures.

The other night wife, son and I had a meal in Annie's a family friendly Italian restaurant - bill (no wine since I was driving) was just under 300RMB.   

A champagne brunch for one person at a 5 star hotel/restaurant will be a similar price.

Can of local beer in a local supermarket  about 2 RMB - an imported beer in a 5 star bar /hotel about 50RMB.

Bottle of drinkable imported wine starts from about 120RMB and depending on how discerning is your palette can go to 4 or 5 times that price.

If your company is sending you over for a senior position they normally provide as part of the package relocation assistance.

Talking of package make sure they include Medical Insurance since the price of the International Medical Facilities in Beijing often make the USA look cheap.

My company is a Destination Service Provider (DSP) ie we help people with the who, what, why,where,when and how of the new city. Private message me for details

Hope this helps.

replied in your other post with the same name

Hi Manlin

Apology but for some reason I cant find or to see that post.

it should be fine now

(I've moved the posts from the other thread on the current one)

Hi Berthomas and Manlin

Thanks for the quick reply.
To be honest I didn't ask about relocation assistance and taxes and I was a bit surprised how high they are. On that amount they will take approx 18000! Is that true?
Tax issue ... One part go for pension if I understand. Hows that working in China?
So...
Salary - 75000
Tax - 18000... Damn
Accommodation - 15000
Electricity/ Water/Etc - 500 approx
Food - House - 2000 approx
Food - Out - 1500 approx
Mobile phone - 300 approx
Internet - 150 approx
Transportation - 1500 approx
Other expenses - 2000 approx (cinema, etc)
Total - 40950 rmb/month

Julien
Thanks mate

Yes, foreign nationals have to pay a portion of the salary to China's Social Security which, amongst other things, indeed includes pension and medical.

Quite honestly it is a pure financial loss. The medical coverage is suitable for a Chinese standard hospital and is about as useful for Expats as a band aid for someone who has been decapitated.

The pension portion is rumoured to be refundable once you leave China and submit the appropriate documents.  Never heard of anyone successfully doing it.

Can you get your employer to pay your tax and to give you the 75,000 post tax?

I did not check your tax calculation but did you factor in house rental as a deductible?  That's why you will need a fapiao, tax invoice, from the Landlord.

Re area - did you mean in the vicinity of Parkview Green?

Beijing is big and I know it fairly well (been here for over 13 years) but Green View Garden is not ringing any bells.

Do you have the name in Chinese or Pinyin (transliteration) ?

Regarding pension, taxes and other details I will see what is mentioned in the contract, which I have to receive next week.
Regarding the mentioned location, company is located behind World Trade Center, Vantone Center - Chaoyang District, if I'm not mistaken. So I will need something close to that. I don't want to waste lots of my time on traveling from home to office..

Some nice apartments) not far from Vantone Center and, depending on your lifestyle choice, there are a couple of serviced apartments in the vicinity.

Advantage of a serviced apartment is that you don't have to provide the "domestic software"  (plates, cutlery, bedding, towels,  etc etc) and they often include a weekly/daily cleaning service. They are of course a tad more expensive than a normal apartment.

Well.. I think it is possible to find something for 15k... In the end I don't need big place but decent one

18000 tax is about 24% of your monthly gross  that's good compared to tax rates in usa