pricing craziness

Back when I lived in Chengdu, I didn't have to worry about housing. My school provided me with a palatial apartment in the suburbs. Still I quickly noticed the difference in pricing in China.

For example, while I could spend about 20 kuai (a little less than $3) on a dinner for 2 with a few beers, I would have to shell out about 200 kuai (a little less than $30) for a pair of pants. In the US, the price of dinner and a pair of pants (for someone as cheap as myself) is often pretty comparable. This made it very difficult for me to buy clothes in China...not to mention the problem of finding pants that fit.

In Beijing the disparity can be even greater. For instance, I found an unfurnished apartment (which I guess is virtually unheard of in Beijing) for fairly cheap. That was great. What killed me is that I had to pay about $100 dollars more for my bed (mattress included) than one month's rent.

I've decided it's a really cheap apartment instead of a really expensive bed.