prices in china

08-05-10

Prices of some pertinent things in China

Kuai=RMB=yuan= USD 14¢ (eg, divide everything in kuai by 7 to get USD. Alternatively, 10 kuai is approximately USD $1.50)

Mao= jiao= 1/10 RMB =USD 1.4¢

Fen= 1/10 mao = 0.14¢

Average used bicycle: 50-80 kuai (RMB 67= USD $10)

One milk pudding popsicle: 5 mao (RMB 0.5= USD 7¢)

One bus ride: 4 mao (RMB 0.4= USD 6¢)

Inexpensive shirt: 10 kuai ~$1.50

Nice meal in restaurant with several dishes: 20-40 kuai ~$3.00

Wash, haircut, and blowout: 30 kuai with student ID ~ ~4.50

10kg watermelon: 10 kuai ~$1.50

One month of my rent of a double room in Zhongguanxinyuan; includes maid service, towels and linens, toilet paper, utilities and water, and AC. I have not had a roommate for the majority of my stay: 3000 RMB. ~$448

One month’s rent of a double room in Westwood at Landfair and Strathmore with no utilities except trash and cold water: $575 (RMB 3852.5)

One month’s rent of a double in the dorms with food included: 10,422 kuai

One year’s rent for my Chinese teacher in her 4 person room with bathrooms down the hall, no AC, in government subsidized student housing: 75 RMB (75RMB= USD $11.20, per year.) She didn’t want to tell me how much it cost after hearing how much my apartment cost at home!

One month’s rent for Zang in government subsidized graduate student housing in a double with AC, utilities not included: 100 kuai ~$15

Medium sized crappy Dove chocolate bar made with vegetable oil: 10RMB ~$1.50

Flask of Chinese rice wine: 15-40RMB ~$6.00; Flask of Spirit of China: 3RMB ~$0.45

Minimum taxi charge and subsequent charge for every km: 10 kuai for the first 3 km, then 2 kuai every km after, with 1 kuai charge per 5 minutes of waiting in traffic or waiting.

Price of one boiled skewer of vegetables, tofu, meat, etc. on the street: 7 mao; 0.7 kuai ~$0.10