Good deals and bad deals in China

After a few months in China you start to figure out what products and services are good deals and vice-versa. I only get paid maybe one third what I received in the USA and maybe one fifth what I got in London, so it's important to know.

It seems like anything involving human services is a great deal but any imported goods cost a lot more. Also, name brand goods that are original versus the counterfeit versions are just as expensive as the USA/UK. So here's a list of good deals and bad deals that I've encountered so far.

Good Value
- foot massage. Because this is labour intensive and local labour is in strong supply here in China, you can get a great foot massage for about 50RMB for 70 minutes. That's about US$7 or 3.4 British pounds. It also usually includes a back, arm and leg massage (fully clothed) while your feet are soaking in salt water. Sometimes I'll take my girlfriend and one of her friends and we can sit in the same room and relax. It really is a great deal and affordable as a weekly treat.

- local beer. Tsingtao or Yanjing beer bought at the local stores used to be about 2.5 RMB or US$0.30 for a big 600ml (20 ounce) bottle. Now it's almost double perhaps because of winter, I don't know, but still a good price. The same thing in a bar is about 15 RMB or US$2.00 for a pint which is a bit less than America, but not such a good deal. Of course, imported beers are more and not really worth it because the local stuff is good. Just like every other country, the wise person will drink a few store-bought beers before they leave home, and go easy when they go out to a bar or club.

- chinese restaurant food, and to a lesser extent, Korean food. The food is cheap, good quality, and tea and service are included. So the price on the menu is what you pay, unlike the USA where the extras are tax and tipping which can easily add 30% to the total. So eating out is affordable and most people will do it fairly regularly. Even those with modest income.

- taxis and public transport. Taxis are an awesome deal until you get stuck in a traffic jam. I use taxis a great deal at night because at 2.5 RMB per km ($0.29), it's very cheap. But for big cross city hops or during rush hour, the underground at 2 RMB for any distance or bus 1 to 2 RMB ($0.13 to $0.26) for any distance makes more sense. You just have to be prepared to stand up and not worry too much about personal space. I'm fine with that. On the bus, if you travel far enough you can usually get a seat.

Bad Value
- imported medicine. I used to take protein powder because I'm a vegetarian and do weight training. Without it I would never gain muscle. The stuff is quite cheap in the USA, but here it probably costs double or triple because it is made in the USA or Germany. So I haven't bought any so far. I'm trying to rely on natural dairy, tofu, and egg products but my cholesterol levels may skyrocket, so we'll have to see how that goes. Other imported meds cost the same as the USA and that makes them a poor deal for ex-pats getting paid local rates.

- name brand / designer clothes. Again the same price as in the USA and Britain. That should not be the case because rent is lower here. But it is the case, so personally, I'm happy with counterfeit / knock-offs or even no-name goods. Some stores like the American giant Walmart actually have name brands at reasonable prices so that's always worth looking into.

- international airplane travel. Same price as other countries, so sticking to train travel where a soft sleeper is a comfortable, affordable compromise, makes good sense. Unfortunately, most trains are still very slow here but more and more high speed bullet trains are being added to inter-city routes. I took the Hong Kong / Beijing slow sleeper train for about US$90 one way. I also tried the Beijing / Qingdao bullet train for about US$30 one way.