What is it like to rent in China’s slums for $40 a month? (with all utilities included)
About this video
For just $40 a month, a rented room in China comes with all utilities and a glimpse into everyday life. After a hearty meal at a local restaurant for under $2, it's time to head home for a workout. This is the simple, grounded routine of an ordinary person making the most of their space and budget.
Video transcript
What is it like to rent in China's lungs for $40 a month? Hi, I'm Lee, 31 years old, single, living alone in Chengdu. A big city with a population of 20 million. I have been unemployed for more than a year. And I haven't found a job yet. I want to save money as much as possible. So, my rent is only $40, including water, electricity, and gas. This price is very cheap in China. After all, it is in a big city. Of course, the more remote the place, the cheaper the rent. Although this price means that I will have many roommates, it is good that my room is
about 10 square meters, and the light is also very good. At that time, I was a little hesitant when the landlord recommended this room to me. I saw the floor was too high. I lived on the seventh floor. When I went to see the room, I decided to rent it. The floor is high, which is not a problem. It happens to be a way to exercise. Of course, this is not an apartment, but a slum in this city. The environment here is bad. There are many trees. If you have a small electric car, you can park it here for free. The tap water here can't be drunk directly. I will
buy 15 L of such a bucket of water for about a week. When I buy a lot of things, it's really tiring to take them to the seventh floor. But, it's not a big problem. I can move up slowly. These are all insurmountable difficulties. The price of a separate apartment here is $120. I can save 80 every month when I live here and 960 a year, which is simply a huge amount of money for me who has no job. When I go home for the Chinese New Year, I can buy some gifts for my family and friends. I bought some fresh potatoes for dinner. I didn't want to change car.
Less than eat. Potatoes are 1 Potatoes are always cheap and delicious type of food. Do you like potatoes? I came to a restaurant for dinner. Can you guess how much it costs? I will show you the payment amount after eating. There are many seasonings. You can match them according to your own taste. There is also chili sauce. You can c h o o s e chili with different degrees of There are also vegetables that you can eat at will. You can eat a lot, but you can't waste it. Cabbage, lettuce, lotus root, potato, vermicelli, or other. Of course, it's all free.
That's all you need to pay. There are bean curd, pork, pork blood, meat balls, lunch meat, quail eggs, and some vegetables. >> >> You will eat until you are full, a lot. >> This chili water can be dipped in any food. And it is very delicious. I'm late every time. I'll finish what's in the pot and then eat some other vegetables. The answer is here. Yes, it costs 1.5 CNY. Less than two. Some people may ask, is it safe to live in such a a cheap place? Will there be a lot of noise? Or is it convenient to buy living materials? There are many cameras in most
parts of China, which also greatly improve safety. If the room is next to the street, of course, it is very noisy. If I live here, I only need to walk 5 minutes to the supermarket to buy food. Hotels and tea houses are next to the supermarket. >> You can come to this street when you don't want to cook. This commodity store has closed down and everything is on sale. This is the cheapest drink shop in China, Mixue Bingcheng. The price of other beverage brands is two to three, which will not exceed one here. 0.3 cents. I bought a mint-flavored ice cream.
There is a university here with more than 20,000 students. It's summer vacation now and there are not many people. When the school starts in September, it will become a lively market. >> Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. This is my real life. The rent of Sishi is the best choice for me at present. If you are unemployed and don't have much money, will you rent such a room? Maybe I will buy a house of my own in the future. I will buy it when I have money to pay. I won't choose to pay in installments. You need to pay the bank every month and the process will last for
20 to 30 years. It's terrible. Are you renting a house now or have you bought your own house?
