You have a remarkably down-to-earth "接地气" (jiē dì qì) demeanor. Your practicality, realism, and connection with the fundamental aspects of life and everyday people are truly admirable. There's an authentic simplicity in your approach, free from any pretense or disconnect from daily experiences. I couldn't help but notice in your recent videos, there seems to be a change in your appearance compared to your videos from two years ago. It's fascinating to observe how time brings about subtle transformations in all of us.
Thats pretty good! I remember a decade ago whilst living in Guangzhou my monthly expenses were around RMB20k without housing. A big chuck was car related costs and Starbucks 😅 I visited GZ few months ago and it looks like life in there has just gotten more expensive. Hope to pop in again early next year 😊
I don’t really waste money , I’ve always been relatively frugal but I do go to Starbucks several times per week. I have car related cost too like gas and parking but no payments. I’m 100% debt free.
Hi Johh, thank you so much for sharing your insights with us. I truly enjoyed watching your video. I learned a lot from you as well. I am relocating to Shanghai very soon and I do really wanted to limit my expenses like yours and focus more on saving. 😊
i want to go to china or korea or japan as my first few countries but i wouldnt go solo since anxiety and disabilities but idk anyone like nobody so it wont work unfortunately
Hi really enjoyed watching your Video! Question: Im German and want to move to China for teaching (Guangzhou). Is it possible with only bachelor degree and some Management experience to get a job as Economics teacher? What salary can i expect? Thank you in advance for your anwser!😁
@@dimiffm933 if you have a degree in economics you can teach economics as a German. But with a management degree it will be more difficult to get legally employed as an economics teacher. Not impossible but difficult
Just a minor correction, foshan is 25 mins outside of guangzhou, not guangDong. Foshan is actually inside guangDong province, it is a city inside GuangDong. I lived in Foshan as a kid before immigrated to your motherland😂
Nah. Getting a drivers license is pretty easy. Right now gas is similar to the price back home in America but that may change very soon with what’s going on in the Middle East now.
Net net saving and how long will it support you to live a decent life is the most important thing. All those statistics, figures can be distorted and misleading.
Saving 4-5k usd per month for 14 years in a place that only cost about 1,000$ a month. You can figure out the math. I can go most places in Asia and live frugal for the next 15 years probably
Nice share. I think you should save some money every month, for example, save two thousand five hundred dollars every month to the bank. This way you can save 30,000 dollars a year, and in a few years you will be able to save more than 100k dollars, which you can use as capital for future investments. After all, if you go back to the U.S. in the future, you may not have a pension, and when you are old, you may need pension money. As you know, we Chinese people always save money, especially those who already have a family, so that they don't need to borrow money from others when they want to make investment or have big expenses in the future. I heard that Europeans and Americans don't save money, they spend their monthly income all the time, which is very difficult to understand by Chinese.
I invest about $3000 a month into stock market every month for last 10 years. I’m planning to retire in Asia though. No plan to go back to USA. I like living in Asia much better.
Hi, John! Any tips on how to find good places to rent? I recently arrived in Shanghai and I'm looking to move to a more affordable city next year. Any tip would be deeply appreciated. Thanks
It really depends on what city and the location within the city. If don’t need to be near public transportation and not in city center it’s always cheaper. And avoid Shenzhen . Guangzhou , Shanghai , Beijing , Tianjin ,
The 58 Tongcheng app has everything you need for local counseling on it, including: renting a house, renting a car, job information, buying and selling a used car, cleaning, babysitting, and all kinds of information releases, but only if you can speak Chinese. There are also a lot of intermediaries in 58 Tongcheng, so you need to screen the reliability of the information. Of course each of the information above will show whether it is put out by an agent or an owner. This will make it easier for you to find the advice you need in every city in China!
you make $5000 USD a month?? holy cow man, that must be after the 14 years of experience teaching or whatever industry you're in. if i were you i'd be spending way more than $12,000 a year and live like a king, you can even go to the big cities and still be able to afford to maintain your lifestyle (less money into the savings account though). i was thinking about going to one of the tier 2 cities myself (single young guy) like suzhou, hangzhou, nanjing, places one tier above foshan but still below the famous ones like shanghai, beijing, shenzhen, with $25,000 annually (in my pocket, no taxes) but it seems like i'd have to monitor my budget if you're spending $1000 a month in a tier 3 city only going out twice a month with 2 out of 3 of your meals paid for by your company... you think that's a fair assessment of my future situation or would i be comfortable than i'm thinking?
Why spend a lot of money ? For what ? I’m pretty happy with the way things are now ! I can’t tell you where to go but I’ve been all over China and I just go where I like. Foshan . Zhongshan and Zhuhai are my favorite places in China.
@@viewpointabroad sounds like you're a fan of the Pearl River Delta area (google it). ironically enough i've been checking out the same area all day today, and i'll probably fly in next month to see it for myself. how does Foshan compare to guangdong in terms of how advanced it looks/pace of living? guangzhou is known to be the cheapest tier 1 city, so if it's way more futuristic looking than its neighbors (foshan, zhuhai, zhongshan, etc) it may just make sense for me to pay a tiny bit extra and get all the benefits that come with living where all the upper class people are at. your thoughts?
@@viewpointabroad i agree that region (pearl river delta) can be really sweet since guangzhou especially is cheaper than other tier 1 cities and you get easy access to hong kong for like 20 bucks USD. what was your experience with people speaking cantonese? how common is it in those cities?
Good video and explanation. Good you are working as a teacher. Maybe in a couple years, I want to semi retire over seas. Cost of living in the US is just too high.
It’s hard to get by if you don’t know any language. It’s easy to learn some basics. You don’t need to be fluent. As far as pension goes , they have a social security system here that you can pay into and draw from when you reach retirement age. It’s not very much compared to the west though. It’s best to find your own retirement via stocks and bonds or real estate
$5000 is a very high salary for a tier 2 city, the median salary in most tier 2 cities are only $1000, but sure they could live a decent life with $500.
Depends on the employer and experience and qualifications. I work for one of the largest companies in all of China. Also I a have several degrees and qualifications as well as 14 years experience. Not to mention this school is the most expensive in the city.
Depends on a lot of things like experience, qualifications your job and agents of you use one. I don’t use agents but I know most agents usually charge the schools 1 month salary
@@viewpointabroad It is what he is _not saying_ that turns this into propaganda. He gives the impression that any foreigner, who lives in China can become a part of the Chinese population, which is _definitely not the case!_ He doesn't mention, that white people in China are called 'white monkeys'. He completely ignores all the disasters that are simultaneously happening in China. He doesn't mention, that in China, it is impossible for a foreigner to become a Chinese citizen. Every foreigner must regularly go to the authorities to renew their residential papers, even if he has lived there for more than 10 years. There is _no other country_ that has such regulations! So, yeah! If you give the impression that you can find work in China as a foreigner, and even save money, while the unemployment is rampant there, and many foreigners are either busy leaving the country, or have already left, then you are, by omitting all of that, making propaganda for the CCP.
@@konradswart4069I wish there were Dumb Comments awards, some people like you just reach for things in things which were not intended, some of us actually like it there ., if you want “the things not talked about “ go watch your CNN and FOX, you’ll have plenty of that there.,
@@AleksanderCarter You say: some of 'us' like it THERE? So, you yourself ARE NOT In China! Therefore you are NOT speaking on behalf of the Chinese people. Are you paid by the CCP, then? Prosecuting the Falun Gong, and then kill them, by organ harvesting! And that has been going on _for decades now!_ How can you _possibly justify being part of such an evil regime?_ How can you _possibly_ justify to yourself for part of the total moral degradation caused by the brainwashing of the CCP? You _like it there?_ _THEN GO THERE!_ Let us see, whether you _still_ dare to say that you like it THERE! *_Open your eyes, man!_*
@@konradswart4069you sound like Alex Jones, lol, get off the conspiracy wagon, and I lived there for 7 years and had some of the best time of my life, sure there was bad, sure there are things going on., if you are so concerned, make a TH-cam and virtue signal there ., but then again, you are probably using an iPhone that was manufactured by underaged workers , wearing clothes that are mostly likely made in China., lol., wake up! Every country is flawed., I’m form US , I served in the military and I can acknowledge that America has way more social issues then China, I think you are the one who needs to open your eyes Ma’m
Hey John! This was very very useful! Thank you so much. Do you have an email I could reach you on ? I have an opportunity I think you will be best to advise me on.
You have a remarkably down-to-earth "接地气" (jiē dì qì) demeanor. Your practicality, realism, and connection with the fundamental aspects of life and everyday people are truly admirable. There's an authentic simplicity in your approach, free from any pretense or disconnect from daily experiences.
I couldn't help but notice in your recent videos, there seems to be a change in your appearance compared to your videos from two years ago. It's fascinating to observe how time brings about subtle transformations in all of us.
Thanks for those kind words. Thanks for watching. I truly appreciate you sharing with us.
Thats pretty good! I remember a decade ago whilst living in Guangzhou my monthly expenses were around RMB20k without housing. A big chuck was car related costs and Starbucks 😅 I visited GZ few months ago and it looks like life in there has just gotten more expensive. Hope to pop in again early next year 😊
I don’t really waste money , I’ve always been relatively frugal but I do go to Starbucks several times per week. I have car related cost too like gas and parking but no payments. I’m 100% debt free.
@@pirismack4942 lies lmao. Starbucks is like 40rmb a drink right now. Must cheaper a decade ago 🥱.
awesome， i watched ALL your videos now, and i think you are awesome hurry up and make more videos.😂
Wow ! Thanks. 🙏. I’m working on one now. I appreciate the support.
Thanks a lot for sharing such clear information. Cut short and precise. 👍🏻
John, I think Guangzhou is affordable compared to to SZ , SH , Beijing .
Yes Guangzhou is a i little cheaper for sure.
Great little video, highly informative...I'm looking to move out to China, March 2024 from the UK.....keep up the good work...Peace and JaYoe
Any idea what city you’re looking at ?
已经搬到中国了吗？
Hi Johh, thank you so much for sharing your insights with us. I truly enjoyed watching your video. I learned a lot from you as well. I am relocating to Shanghai very soon and I do really wanted to limit my expenses like yours and focus more on saving. 😊
good luck 🍀
Thank you for the insight. We want to move to China and this was helpful
i want to go to china or korea or japan as my first few countries but i wouldnt go solo since anxiety and disabilities but idk anyone like nobody so it wont work unfortunately
Great. 👍
Planing to move with my fam in the future so am here for the research, great info bro, thanks
@@treasurelove6199 thanks. I’ll try to make more informative vids once I get settled in my new house.
That's the realest breakdown I've ever seen. You are appreciated!
thanks a lot
Thanks for this
Hi really enjoyed watching your Video!
Question: Im German and want to move to China for teaching (Guangzhou). Is it possible with only bachelor degree and some Management experience to get a job as Economics teacher? What salary can i expect?
Thank you in advance for your anwser!😁
@@dimiffm933 if you have a degree in economics you can teach economics as a German. But with a management degree it will be more difficult to get legally employed as an economics teacher. Not impossible but difficult
low living cost can help you to save more money for future
in China, even tier 3 cities and below, are more advanced than most capital cities in the world 😂😂😂
It’s true , especially when it comes to public transportation and everything being cashless
I’ve been watching your videos for a while. I like your southern accent. Where are you from? Which state?
Thanks for watching. I’m from Kentucky, but I’ve been in China so long my accent isn’t as bad as it used to be. Slowly losing it.
Just a minor correction, foshan is 25 mins outside of guangzhou, not guangDong. Foshan is actually inside guangDong province, it is a city inside GuangDong. I lived in Foshan as a kid before immigrated to your motherland😂
So where do you prefer, here or USA 🇺🇸? Just curious .
Hi, love your video, is it very hare to get a driver license? and how much is a litre of gas ?
Nah. Getting a drivers license is pretty easy. Right now gas is similar to the price back home in America but that may change very soon with what’s going on in the Middle East now.
Net net saving and how long will it support you to live a decent life is the most important thing. All those statistics, figures can be distorted and misleading.
Saving 4-5k usd per month for 14 years in a place that only cost about 1,000$ a month. You can figure out the math. I can go most places in Asia and live frugal for the next 15 years probably
👍👍👍
Nice share. I think you should save some money every month, for example, save two thousand five hundred dollars every month to the bank. This way you can save 30,000 dollars a year, and in a few years you will be able to save more than 100k dollars, which you can use as capital for future investments. After all, if you go back to the U.S. in the future, you may not have a pension, and when you are old, you may need pension money.
As you know, we Chinese people always save money, especially those who already have a family, so that they don't need to borrow money from others when they want to make investment or have big expenses in the future.
I heard that Europeans and Americans don't save money, they spend their monthly income all the time, which is very difficult to understand by Chinese.
I invest about $3000 a month into stock market every month for last 10 years. I’m planning to retire in Asia though. No plan to go back to USA. I like living in Asia much better.
Man, if you invest your money in Nasdaq these years, you may earn lots of money.
@@hdhsdebendan yeah. I also day trade big cap tech.
@@viewpointabroad非常欣赏你的，你是一个有远见的人，亚洲是比较安全的地方，（特别是退休，没有压力生活晚年）特别是中国是一个非常安全的国家，物价稳定，交通便利，美食天堂，每一个省市的饮食文化都不一样的，整个中国走不完的地方胜地，
Hi, John! Any tips on how to find good places to rent? I recently arrived in Shanghai and I'm looking to move to a more affordable city next year. Any tip would be deeply appreciated.
Thanks
It really depends on what city and the location within the city. If don’t need to be near public transportation and not in city center it’s always cheaper. And avoid Shenzhen . Guangzhou , Shanghai , Beijing , Tianjin ,
@@viewpointabroad Thanks! Are real state agents the way to go? I'm afraid of getting scammed.
@@zolamadda5980 it’s ok to use an agent but the agent fee is half months rent and it’s split between the renter and the landlord.
@@zolamadda5980u can use apps to check for the average price prior, so that u can have a standard in your minds
The 58 Tongcheng app has everything you need for local counseling on it, including: renting a house, renting a car, job information, buying and selling a used car, cleaning, babysitting, and all kinds of information releases, but only if you can speak Chinese.
There are also a lot of intermediaries in 58 Tongcheng, so you need to screen the reliability of the information. Of course each of the information above will show whether it is put out by an agent or an owner. This will make it easier for you to find the advice you need in every city in China!
Where do u live in China? How long you been there?
Guangdong , 14 years
you make $5000 USD a month?? holy cow man, that must be after the 14 years of experience teaching or whatever industry you're in. if i were you i'd be spending way more than $12,000 a year and live like a king, you can even go to the big cities and still be able to afford to maintain your lifestyle (less money into the savings account though). i was thinking about going to one of the tier 2 cities myself (single young guy) like suzhou, hangzhou, nanjing, places one tier above foshan but still below the famous ones like shanghai, beijing, shenzhen, with $25,000 annually (in my pocket, no taxes) but it seems like i'd have to monitor my budget if you're spending $1000 a month in a tier 3 city only going out twice a month with 2 out of 3 of your meals paid for by your company... you think that's a fair assessment of my future situation or would i be comfortable than i'm thinking?
Why spend a lot of money ? For what ? I’m pretty happy with the way things are now ! I can’t tell you where to go but I’ve been all over China and I just go where I like. Foshan . Zhongshan and Zhuhai are my favorite places in China.
@@viewpointabroad sounds like you're a fan of the Pearl River Delta area (google it). ironically enough i've been checking out the same area all day today, and i'll probably fly in next month to see it for myself. how does Foshan compare to guangdong in terms of how advanced it looks/pace of living? guangzhou is known to be the cheapest tier 1 city, so if it's way more futuristic looking than its neighbors (foshan, zhuhai, zhongshan, etc) it may just make sense for me to pay a tiny bit extra and get all the benefits that come with living where all the upper class people are at. your thoughts?
@@viewpointabroad i agree that region (pearl river delta) can be really sweet since guangzhou especially is cheaper than other tier 1 cities and you get easy access to hong kong for like 20 bucks USD. what was your experience with people speaking cantonese? how common is it in those cities?
@agsdjklshadsabn Zhongshan and some areas of Foshan most only speak Cantonese but in Guangzhou or Shenzhen most will speak mandarin
@@viewpointabroad thanks a lot man
Good video and explanation. Good you are working as a teacher.
Maybe in a couple years, I want to semi retire over seas.
Cost of living in the US is just too high.
Yes. It’s much cheaper to retire in Asia.
Do you still have to pay taxes in the United States?
@@007Jay100 yes I do.
What you spent in a month almost equates to what I make a month living in Vietnam haha
Vietnam should be a cheap retirement destination. Wouldn’t wanna earn their salary though.
Does it make sense to go to China without language knowledge? How about pension, financial support in case of unemployment, etc.? Thanks
It’s hard to get by if you don’t know any language. It’s easy to learn some basics. You don’t need to be fluent. As far as pension goes , they have a social security system here that you can pay into and draw from when you reach retirement age. It’s not very much compared to the west though. It’s best to find your own retirement via stocks and bonds or real estate
@@viewpointabroad - your employer should match your pension contribution ( 15%+15% ?) - hard to beat that in the market
👏👏👏🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳‼️👍👍👍
$5000 is a very high salary for a tier 2 city, the median salary in most tier 2 cities are only $1000, but sure they could live a decent life with $500.
Depends on the employer and experience and qualifications. I work for one of the largest companies in all of China. Also I a have several degrees and qualifications as well as 14 years experience. Not to mention this school is the most expensive in the city.
Is the $5000 USD before or after tax? US citizens have to pay tax to US government too even when working oversea.
Food for free ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
i like china
Me too
You ever considered going live and answering some questions from you subscribers?
Yes , I was just contemplating this the other day.
And I did not catch your spendings for health and other not provided stuff... :o
Gym membership is about 100$ per year so I didn’t include it.
My jobs provides health insurance.
You seem to earn double what other youtubes in china make. Maybe their agent took a chunk of their salary?
Depends on a lot of things like experience, qualifications your job and agents of you use one. I don’t use agents but I know most agents usually charge the schools 1 month salary
@@viewpointabroad you teach public elementary school right?
@@Greg-uq8ng no. It’s private school owned by one of the biggest real estate developers in China
What's the job market like atm? Much demand?
@@Greg-uq8ng for foreign teachers ? High demand. Way too many jobs and not enough people.
I think you got everything , but a lady.😂
If o find a good one I’ll put her in some videos
@@viewpointabroad How to find a good one?
@@zoltanfabiansk5795 that’s a good question. They for sure aren’t in dating apps
@@viewpointabroad - or the basketball court! I suggest joining a hiking club.
@@firstlast-pt5pp not really a fan of hiking. I more of a beach guy.
Nice videos but don't become a Shill like other you tubers.
Thanks for watching. Appreciate it 🙏
@@GabrielPrado-gu5zq what’s a shill?
Some CCP propaganda movie?
Oh yeah sharing how much it cost to live somewhere is propaganda…..
@@viewpointabroad It is what he is _not saying_ that turns this into propaganda.
He gives the impression that any foreigner, who lives in China can become a part of the Chinese population, which is _definitely not the case!_
He doesn't mention, that white people in China are called 'white monkeys'.
He completely ignores all the disasters that are simultaneously happening in China.
He doesn't mention, that in China, it is impossible for a foreigner to become a Chinese citizen. Every foreigner must regularly go to the authorities to renew their residential papers, even if he has lived there for more than 10 years. There is _no other country_ that has such regulations!
So, yeah! If you give the impression that you can find work in China as a foreigner, and even save money, while the unemployment is rampant there, and many foreigners are either busy leaving the country, or have already left, then you are, by omitting all of that, making propaganda for the CCP.
@@konradswart4069I wish there were Dumb Comments awards, some people like you just reach for things in things which were not intended, some of us actually like it there ., if you want “the things not talked about “ go watch your CNN and FOX, you’ll have plenty of that there.,
@@AleksanderCarter
You say: some of 'us' like it THERE?
So, you yourself ARE NOT In China!
Therefore you are NOT speaking on behalf of the Chinese people.
Are you paid by the CCP, then?
Prosecuting the Falun Gong, and then kill them, by organ harvesting! And that has been going on _for decades now!_
How can you _possibly justify being part of such an evil regime?_ How can you _possibly_ justify to yourself for part of the total moral degradation caused by the brainwashing of the CCP?
You _like it there?_
_THEN GO THERE!_ Let us see, whether you _still_ dare to say that you like it THERE!
*_Open your eyes, man!_*
@@konradswart4069you sound like Alex Jones, lol, get off the conspiracy wagon, and I lived there for 7 years and had some of the best time of my life, sure there was bad, sure there are things going on., if you are so concerned, make a TH-cam and virtue signal there ., but then again, you are probably using an iPhone that was manufactured by underaged workers , wearing clothes that are mostly likely made in China., lol., wake up! Every country is flawed., I’m form US , I served in the military and I can acknowledge that America has way more social issues then China, I think you are the one who needs to open your eyes Ma’m
Hey John! This was very very useful! Thank you so much.
Do you have an email I could reach you on ? I have an opportunity I think you will be best to advise me on.
On my about page !