Day in the Life of Me Living Alone in China’s Ghost City
About this video
A quiet, solitary day unfolds in a nearly empty Chinese "ghost city" where the rent for a 50-square-meter apartment is just $100 a month. The video captures the stark calm of living alone, with utility costs so low—electricity at $0.09 per kilowatt-hour and water at $0.40 per ton—that there are almost no expenses beyond rent. Without social obligations or friends nearby, the experience feels both peaceful and isolating, offering a rare glimpse into ultra-low-cost urban solitude.
Video transcript
What's it like spending a day living alone in China's ghost city? Hi everyone, I'm Zang. I'm currently living alone in Heinen, the southernmost province in China. I moved here about a month ago and I plan to stay for around two months. I've been living alone like this for the past 4 years. My total monthly living expenses here are about $300. Compared with the city I lived in before, I'm spending about 30% less each month. The biggest difference is my rent. It's only half of what I used to pay. This apartment costs just $100 a month. The reason housing
prices and rents are so affordable here is that there are a large number of vacant apartments and there aren't many job opportunities nearby. Most of the people who live here year round are retirees and children. Many of the retirees have moved here from northern China to escape the cold. And the main reason they choose to stay is the climate. Heen has a tropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of 23 to 27°. Even in winter, temperatures rarely fall below 16° C, which makes it an attractive place to live year round. These apartments
were built during China's real estate boom. Around 2020, China's housing market was at its peak. At one point, apartments here were selling for as much as $3,800 per square meter. Today, similar properties sell for only around $900 per square meter. For many years, buying property was considered one of the most important investment options for ordinary Chinese families. After the pandemic, however, the housing market entered a sharp downturn and home prices fell significantly across much of the country. The market has yet to show a strong recovery. At
the same time, the Chinese government tightened regulations on the real estate sector and many developers ran into serious financial difficulties. As a result, the market changed dramatically. Today, prices in the secondhand housing market have fallen well below their previous highs. Many homeowners have found it difficult to sell their apartments, so they've chosen to rent them out instead, often at relatively low prices. Because of the current market, I was able to rent a spacious and comfortable apartment for a very affordable price. On the other
hand, many people who bought property here as an investment have suffered significant financial losses. In China, residential developments with very low occupancy rates are often referred to as ghost cities. There are quite a few communities like this across the country. As for my income, my main source right now is a part-time online job editing videos for other people. The pay isn't very high, but the hours are flexible. I'm 37 years old and in China it can be difficult for ordinary people my age to find a stable job. That's one of the reasons I
decided to start documenting my daily life and sharing it online. My YouTube channel was approved for monetization just last week. If everything goes as expected, I should receive my first YouTube payment by the end of next month. Finally, I'd like to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has supported my channel. Although the occupancy rate in this community is very low, it's still very wellmaintained. The public areas are cleaned by staff every day. The property management fee here is about 50 cents per square meter per month. My apartment is about
50 square m. So the monthly management fee would normally be around $25. Fortunately, I don't have to pay that myself because it's already included in my $100 monthly rent. Electricity costs 9 cents per kowatt hour and water costs 40 cents per ton. Apart from electricity and water, everything else is already included in the rent. So there are no additional housing related expenses. I don't really have a social life here, so I don't spend much money on entertainment or social activities. I usually cook my own meals which helps me save a lot on my living
expenses. When I used to work a regular job, cooking always felt like a hassle and I never wanted to do it. But after slowing down the pace of my life, I actually started to enjoy cooking. It makes me feel more connected to everyday life. Come on. Do it. Come on. Come on.
