Batgung

Hi,

I have a job offer to work in Shenzhen. I want to know details of how costly living in Shenzhen is. Will the equivalent of USD 25K per year be sufficient for a family of four?

If U were single $25k might be enough to live on! China is more expensive than one might think. I lived in SZ for 5 years! Its a great city but not cheap if U want to live western.
[b]Here are some questions U need to check on?[/b]

GET A CELL PHONE THE FIRST DAY WHEN YOU GET THERE. get everyone in your family one. its your life line!

Will your employer pay for your apartment? Most employeers do!
How big is the apartment? most apartments are 2 bedrooms given by employeers! Remember to check there is a western toilet there, bathtubs and showers are ususlly the whole bathroom.

Will they handle your taxes?
Ex pats pay 45-55% tax on there money earned. Be careful

Do you have health care, CASH ONLY in China! so you will need 10-20k for any big problems, Some employeer will provide a card, but no many know about this.

Plus no charge cards are allowed in China, Unless its a big hotel, or a goverment run store. but U will need your passport to use it.

There is million ATM machines in SZ!
Be carefull of pick-pockets, watch out if you carry a back back. sometimes when people are exiting a bus they will run by at take you bags!when talking on phones it can get taken right from your hand.

western restruants are expensive. US prices maybe more for for meals!
Local Chinese restruants are all in Chinese, U will need to learn Chinese or have a escort to go there.

Best places for westerns to live is Futian District, Nanshan district, Sherko area, most westerns are living there, U and your family will feel the most comfortable. Are your kids school age? if so forget western schools unless your employeer will pay, Western schools cost $12- $15k a year per child and that is from K-8 grade any grade higher U need to home school. If your family lives in HK (But U need to establish residance thier too and pay more taxes) school are cheaper.
Schools on China are Chinese ONLY so your kids will have to learn to read and write Chinese, I friend of mind was Chinese decent, he lived in the US for 10 years and decides to move back, his son was goning to be a 9th grader in the US but the school tested him and wanted to place him in the 7th grade, they compromised he went to 8th grade. Also Chinese schools in SZ go 6 days a week! Western kids complain!

Please note the locals really don't understand your issues, they will help if you identify your needs. So when you get to SZ find other ex-pats and they can send you into the right direction.

Learn bus, subway, routes, Taxis cost 12-15 rmb per trip, officallyonly 4 allowed people in a car at a time... but most of the time you can get 5, Taxi are old VW Rabbit's.

I also want to know the possibility of taking my mother with me as a dependent. Do the rules of Hong Kong apply for Visa processing, or are they different in Shenzhen?

U don't need a Visa for HK, but to enter SZ, live and work in SZ you will have to get a residance permit and a work permit, where your employeer has to sponser you. They should assist you in all of there matters, the residance permit needs to be updated every 11 months. You will get a 1 month visa first to get into SZ then you apply for the work permit.

Sorry I wrote, a lot, but moving to SZ is not a easy experance with a family. It's a great city. If u have other question feel free to write to me I'll help you out if a can. szsammy@hotmail.com