How much monthly salary can earn a comfortable life in China?

A recent post on the Internet titled "Monthly salary standard for a comfortable life in cities" has sparked a debate about how much money is really enough in China.

The post said that urban residents who earn a monthly salary of 4,750 yuan can live a comfortable life in Guangzhou. The standard is lower than that of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and even Dalian and Wenzhou. Because of this many netizens expressed their doubts and said they have some reservations towards the standard.

A netizen nicknamed "wanghong" told reporters, "I work in Guangzhou and earn 7,000 yuan a month, but I do not feel comfortable and I do not even dare buy a house."

Another netizen named "Grumbler" said, "The standard is acceptable in Guangzhou if one has a house without mortgage payments, kids, boyfriend or girlfriend and seldom goes out for social activities. However, that is not living. It is only survival and hardly comfortable."

Some netizens said that the standard of a comfortable life varies with each individual. When a netizen named Zhang Ye first arrived in Guangzhou, his monthly salary during the probation period was 2,000 yuan, all of which was used for rent, food and occasionally clothes. Zhang said, "When I can earn 4,000 yuan a month, I will not even know how to spend it."

A netizen named Wen Jun now works in a law firm in Guangzhou and earns about 4,900 yuan per month.

"My monthly expenses include more than 1,000 yuan on food, 800 yuan on investments, 400 yuan on insurance and 600 on shopping," she said. "I also go to Macao once every two months and go to Hong Kong to shop when I have time. Such a trip costs about 3,000 yuan."

Regarding her opinion on "comfort," Wen said this: "A house and a car are necessary, and enough money for long distance sightseeing tours is also essential."

After the hot post appeared on the Internet, it was soon re-published on many other Web sites. After comparing the post with the "White-Collar Workers' Salary Standards in First-tier Cities of China" issued by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, reporters found that they are essentially the same.

According to some media groups, Han Meng, a researcher from the Institute of Economics, expressed that he did not know whether a new standard had been issued and added that salary is an important measure for the Comfortable Life Index, but not the only measure.

By People's Daily Online