Inside a $30/Month Rental in China’s Low-Income Area
About this video
Step inside a budget rental in a less affluent part of China, where a room costs just $30 a month. The video tours the cramped living space and surrounding neighborhood, offering an honest look at the realities of low-cost urban housing.
Video transcript
**Inside a $30/Month Rental in China's Low-Income Area** To save time on my commute, I recently moved. I used to spend an hour on public transportation every day. Now I walk to and from work, which only takes 10 minutes. Best of all, the rent is really cheap. Of course, it's not an apartment—it's a 12-square-meter single room in the city's slum area, for $30 a month. Right now, I'm going to pick up a package. In China, courier companies usually deliver packages to designated pickup stations, and you have to go get them yourself. There are companies
that deliver to your door, but they cost more. The things I buy all have free shipping, so sellers usually go with the cheaper courier. Why did I choose a place like this? I can save $100 a month. That's $1,200 a year. That's a lot of money—enough to do plenty of things. My family doesn't know I live in a room like this. They think I rent an apartment. My last video was filmed at my own place. I did the math: saving one hour of commuting time each day adds up to 30 hours a month, 360 hours a year—that's half a month spent on the road. Excluding
commuting costs, the monthly rent is only $20. I'm especially grateful to my friend. I work at the company he founded. No overtime, no pressure to get promoted. Eight hours a day, two days off a week. I need my own time to enjoy my hobbies. I don't want my life to be just about work and sleep. When I first arrived, the room only had a bed, a table, and a chair. I've bought some daily necessities recently. Now, in my free time, I just put things together. Friends might ask me, "Is it safe to live here?" I can definitely say, "Very safe." There are plenty
of cameras on the streets and lots of streetlights at night. Many people would say, "Too many cameras, no privacy." Haha. Rest assured, someone like me with a $600 monthly salary isn't worth special attention. One advantage in China is having choices: high-end, mid-range, and low-end options for people at all income levels. Some friends might say low-end products aren't good quality, but sometimes having something is far more important than having nothing. Not everyone can afford high-end goods. I also brought some household items from home to save as
much money as possible. This place is 30 kilometers from Chengdu, China's ninth-largest city—a small city called Pengzhou, with an urban population of 400,000. If ranked among Chinese cities, it's probably outside the top 500. The room is small, but I'll try to make it cozy. With under $100, I can fully equip everything needed for daily life. That $100 budget even includes a washing machine. Feeling a bit hungry. I'm going out to eat. The weather is around 10°C. Still feels pretty cold. Sorry. I ordered soy milk, fried dough sticks, and some side
dishes. They're making the fried dough sticks fresh here, so I have to wait a while. I'll start with the soy milk and side dishes. When Chinese people go out to eat, they prefer restaurants where chefs cook food to order, ensuring the ingredients are fresh and tasty. Pre-made meal restaurants aren't very popular in China. Here come my fried dough sticks. Delicious. I dip them in soy milk, which makes them softer and more tender. Eating. This whole meal cost just $1.10. Do you think that's expensive? Now I'll take a walk nearby to help digestion, even
though it's a bit chilly. That is so easy. Flowers are still blooming. Looking at the flowers lifts my spirits. Excuse me. Hey, there's some fitness equipment here. Usually placed in parks for people's convenience. Stopping for a photo of the pagoda. Over there, a group of elderly people are practicing tai chi. Tai chi improves body coordination and balance. Long-term practice can effectively enhance muscle endurance and flexibility, improving overall physical function. It's very popular among seniors in China. This temple is called Ling Temple, with
over 1,600 years of history. Among China's 19 pagodas containing sacred relics, this is one of them. So historic. We're in the dark. Many Westerners find China's three-wheeled vehicles interesting. Yes, they're fun. They can carry goods or passengers. Most of these now are electric. In China, blue license plates mean gasoline cars. Green ones mean electric. Returning home. This room has a window for ventilation. It doesn't get direct sunlight, but the $30 rent is acceptable. The temperature in the room is quite low, so I'll make myself a cup of hot tea
first. What are rental prices like in your country? I've heard that in many European and American countries, people spend one-third of their salary on rent. Of course, the rental conditions are still very good. I could rent a nicer apartment, but $150 versus $30—the price difference is really significant. In this city, with $3 a day, if you cook for yourself, you can live relatively well. For meals at restaurants, $7 a day for three meals is pretty decent. That $7 even includes a cup of coffee. So when you convert it, we should be about the same. High
rent, high housing prices, high cost of living. We have low rent, low housing prices, low cost of living. But there's one thing: Apple products are still very expensive. In China, a top-of-the-line Apple phone is worth almost a full set of home appliances—a TV, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner, microwave, etc. Despite my low salary, I have a habit of saving every month. With a monthly salary of $600, I can save $200 to $300. If I socialize more, I can only save $100. Where we are, if you own a house outright, life is truly happy. For a
house purchased with a one-time payment, apart from monthly property management fees and utilities, there are no other extra taxes. How to put it? Every place is different. My house in town doesn't even require property management fees. Fortunately, I didn't buy a house in the city a few years ago. Back then in town, I could afford a 110-square-meter house with a lump-sum payment. But in the city, it was only enough for a 20% down payment, requiring a 30-year loan. Oh my goodness, that's terrifying. At that time, many friends and classmates bought houses
in the city. Where we're from, social standing is very important. If others have cars and you don't, if others buy houses and you don't, it implies your social value is low. There's a Chinese saying: "Only wear shoes that fit your feet." I know what size feet I have, and wearing the right-sized shoes is comfortable. After the pandemic, many problems were also exposed. The economy hasn't been good these past few years, and some friends have had great difficulty repaying their loans. Some even sold the houses they bought on credit, but their assets still
couldn't cover the debt. So, not taking on debt, not engaging in premature consumption, and keeping costs down—that's very important. I didn't buy a basin for washing vegetables, so I temporarily used a plastic mineral water jug instead. I'm preparing to make a hot pot for myself. Hot pot is quite simple. It's a way to treat my hardworking self. First, let's prepare the vegetables. Finding this place to rent was also very serendipitous. Some time ago, I happened to pass by here and saw the landlord, an elderly man, sunbathing. I noticed a rental notice
posted on his house. I casually asked him about it. He took me up to the third floor. This is the room. I was a bit hesitant at first, but then I heard the rent was only $30 a month. Utilities for the shared bathroom, like water and electricity, are free, and you can take showers without charge. The landlord cleans the common areas every day. You have to pay for the electricity in your own room, though—it's $0.15 per kilowatt hour. There are no other fees. When I heard that price, I didn't hesitate. I paid the rent for three months right away. Living
here feels pretty good. It's quite quiet. Oh, and the room comes with an air conditioner. I usually don't use it since it consumes too much electricity. I bought a small electric heater for myself. For the hot pot, I've prepared sausage and pork. As for vegetables, there are mushrooms, wood ear fungus, leafy greens, spinach, Chinese cabbage, tofu, and konjac, plus two bottles of beer. These ingredients lasted me a full two days. The total cost came to $9. What do you think of these ingredients? Although I'm single, I still stay in touch with my friends.
Personally, I feel that being single long-term isn't healthy. People need communication, gatherings, and real human interaction. Even in the internet age, where everyone uses phones and tablets daily, personal connection remains crucial. Many moments of warmth and heartfelt experiences are things the internet simply cannot provide. They must be felt with one's own heart. Living in such a run-down tiny room, I'm still incredibly happy. I can just be my true self. I don't have to put on airs or act pretentious like I did at the company every day. I don't
have to do things against my will or say things that even I find hypocritical. I hope everyone who sees this video stays healthy, has everything go smoothly, finds someone to love them, and feels warm inside. Add hot pot base. Cut scallions into small sections. Slice ginger. Put them in the pot. Add an appropriate amount of water to the pot. Stir with chopsticks. Start cooking the hot pot. Waiting is a process to enjoy. A super luxurious hot pot meal worth $9. Haha. The hot pot has boiled. Stir it and prepare to cook the vegetables. Add pork, tofu, and
konjac. One must also learn to love oneself properly. Eating carefully and sleeping well are very important. Cheers. Good. Now I'm taking a bath in a free public bathroom. The conditions are very simple, but it's provided for free. Very satisfied. Yeah. It's getting late. Going to sleep now. Thanks for watching. See you next time.
