- Monthly expenses of an Indian family in Shanghai total around Rs 9.81 lakh
- Rent and international school fees each cost about Rs 3.5 lakh per month
- Groceries, domestic help, utilities, and transport add significant monthly costs
The cost of living in another country can look very different from what people imagine, especially for families with children. An Indian woman living in Shanghai has given a glimpse into her family's monthly expenses in the Chinese city, revealing that they spend nearly Rs 10 lakh every month. Aditi Sharma, who lives in Shanghai with her family of four, shared an Instagram video detailing their monthly spending on rent, education, groceries, domestic help and leisure.
According to Sharma, the family's total monthly expenses come to around Rs 9.81 lakh. However, she remarked that the figure reflects their personal lifestyle and choices and should not be considered a general guide to living costs in China.
First of all, rent and education make up the largest share of the family's budget. Their home in Shanghai costs 25,000 yuan, or around Rs 3.5 lakh, a month in rent. Their children attend an international school, which costs the family another 25,000 yuan, or Rs 3.5 lakh, every month.
The family spends around 5,000 yuan, or Rs 70,750, on groceries. Domestic help is another major expense, costing them more than Rs 1 lakh a month. Utilities add around 1,500 yuan, or Rs 21,230, while public transport costs approximately 700 yuan, or Rs 10,000.
The family also sets aside money for leisure and other discretionary expenses. Around 1,500 yuan, or Rs 21,230, goes towards the children's entertainment and extracurricular activities. Eating out and shopping account for another 4,000 yuan, or about Rs 56,650, each month.
Adding everything together, the family's monthly spending comes to approximately Rs 9,81,860. She pointed out that the cost of living can vary widely depending on a person's lifestyle, priorities and choices.
"Please note: This is our personal spending, not a general guide to the cost of living in Shanghai. Also we don't receive any expat allowance here, only the medical insurance which covers 100% of our medical expenses. Costs can vary depending on your lifestyle, school you choose and where you live — especially rent, which depends heavily on the area," she wrote while sharing the video.
Watch the video here:
The video sparked mixed reactions online, with some viewers saying the figures challenged their perception that China is inexpensive. One user said they had also assumed China would be cheap before moving to Beijing but found many everyday expenses to be much higher than expected.
Another person commented, "Shanghai is expensive ... rent is absurd and international schools are insane."
A third user said, "China is usually only cheap for foreigners if their company is paying their house and school fees plus offering an inflated salary. The school I worked at paid for a small apartment but it was just me at the time so enough gave a flight allowance and allowed your children to attend the school. Without employers paying housing and school fees for a family could be very high."
A fourth added, "I would say it depends where you live in China. China is huge. Most cities are affordable. Only the big famous cities such as Shanghai and Beijing is expensive. My father lived for many many years in Kunshan. There it was cheap."
