• TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
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    11 hours ago

    Maybe if you are comparing it to the US cost of living? The average manufacturing job for tech companies in China is around 12k usd a year, while a middle class yearly income starts around 15k a year. So they are in the upper end of the working class.

    The basic cost of living is just extremely cheap compared to western countries. Although the wages are only 20-25% when compared to US manufacturing, the cost of basic necessities like housing and food are about 3x cheaper.

    It really matters what region you are talking about, tier 1 cities are quite a bit more expensive than tier 2 and 3, but still affordable compared to western nations.

    • Laser@feddit.org
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      10 hours ago

      the cost of basic necessities like housing and food are about 3x cheaper.

      Depends. Newly built apartments will set you back $200k after conversion there, some years ago it could easily reach $500k.

      • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
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        7 hours ago

        In a tier 1 city, I wouldn’t doubt that. That’s the equivalent of buying a new apartment in NYC or San Francisco.

        However, unlike the US there are an over abundance of older living spaces that are much much affordable.