Recently, the question “How much is enough for a university student’s monthly living expenses?” has become a hot topic on Chinese social media. Some students have shared detailed bills, stating that 1500 RMB (Chinese Yuan, equivalent to around 236 USD) or even 2000 RMB is “simply not enough to last till the end of the month.” On the other hand, some parents claim that 1500 RMB is sufficient, but students argue back saying, “If you don’t have enough money, then don’t have children.” This discussion not only reflects the generational gap in consumption views but also reveals the continuous rise in living expenses for university students under economic pressure.
According to a survey report released by Tencent News’ “Gu Yu Data” on May 30th, over 70% of surveyed university students have monthly living expenses ranging from 1000 to 2000 RMB. In first-tier and new first-tier cities, less than 20% of students spend over 2500 RMB per month. The report indicates that with the increase in prices and rising costs of living, 1500 RMB for living expenses is no longer sufficient to support basic needs.
Lin Qi (pseudonym), a sophomore student at a university in Beijing, shared with a reporter from Daji Yuan that she tries to avoid ordering takeout and buying drinks, but “the prices at the school cafeteria are not low either, a meal costs over ten yuan, so three meals a day add up to thirty to forty yuan.” She expressed that the real pressure comes from “social and academic expenses”, such as “hanging out with friends, holiday gifts, English training classes, and various certificate exams, all squeezed out from the living expenses.”
The report from “Gu Yu Data” also points out that university students’ expenses are mainly concentrated in food, daily necessities, social entertainment, hobby cultivation, and learning materials. Food expenditures account for nearly 50%. Additionally, basic expenses such as water, electricity, transportation, and communication have been increasing year by year, leading to a common outcry from students about the increasing cost of living.
According to the 2024 China University Student Consumer Behavior Survey conducted by iResearch Consulting, 51.4% of university students spend between 1000 and 2000 RMB on social entertainment per semester.
Zhou Ting, a resident in Taiyuan City, Shanxi, provides her second-year university student child with a monthly living allowance of 1800 RMB, a slight decrease from 2000 RMB compared to last year. She stated, “It’s not that my child’s living expenses have decreased, many students in their class are receiving less compared to last year. As parents, it’s also tough for us – who doesn’t want their children to live well? But with decreasing income, we can only reduce the living expenses.”
She mentioned that a friend of hers and her husband make a living by delivering takeout. Since her husband got injured last year, the three-person family solely depends on her income, resulting in financial strain. She said, “At least we still have a stable income, but many people around us have lost their jobs, and there are more parents doing delivery or running stalls.”
In recent years, from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the economic decoupling between China and the US to the tension in local finances, consecutive shocks have led to numerous companies closing down, workers becoming unemployed, and people experiencing a sharp decline in income. Gao, a female employee at the Dagang Oilfield in Tianjin, told reporters that last year she provided her child with 2300 RMB as living expenses, but this year she can only afford 1900 RMB. She expressed, “Now all bonuses and subsidies are gone, the basic wages are not enough to support the whole family. It’s hard to find a job with a two thousand RMB salary. What kind of world is this?”
Gao sighed, “The news keeps saying the economy is improving every day, but in reality, ordinary people are finding it increasingly difficult. Recently, news spreads overseas about personnel changes in mainland China, and domestically, more attention is paid to when the leadership will change – this shows how disappointed everyone is with the current situation.”
Mr. Han, who runs a catering business at the Wuyi Square in Changsha, Hunan, told reporters that under deflation, daily consumption has not decreased. He explained, “Vegetables may have become a bit cheaper, but the cost of eating, daily necessities, and transportation have all gone up. Having a meal in the city costs at least tens of yuan, adding up to fifty yuan for three meals a day, which means you will need at least 1500 yuan a month just for food, not to mention other expenses.”
Mr. Han added that most of China’s prestigious universities are located in first and second-tier cities. Even for universities in third and fourth-tier cities where living costs are relatively lower, the provided living expenses only ensure “enough to eat” rather than “living well.”
This debate about living expenses is not just a matter of calculating family budgets but also reflects significant differences in consumption views between generations. Xie Shang, an online commentator from Henan, analyzed that today’s university students not only have to cope with a high-consumption environment but also bear the “hidden anxiety of self-improvement.” Xie Shang expressed to Daji Yuan, “In first-tier cities, 1500 RMB for living expenses truly cannot meet the demands of learning and daily life. Many students consider branded clothing and social entertainment as basic expenses, indicating the new generation’s expectations for life quality that are difficult for parents of the older generation to comprehend.”
He pointed out that parents are struggling between soaring prices and shrinking incomes, “On one hand, they have to accept the decline in their own quality of life, and on the other hand, they have to endure their children’s complaints about ‘not having enough to spend.’ In fact, many families are barely getting by.”
Li Tong (pseudonym), a former teacher at Tianjin University, stated that the issue of university students’ living expenses is not an exaggeration but a microcosm of the current economic imbalance and inadequate social security in China. She said, “If young people are struggling for survival during the stage when they should focus on learning, it will inevitably affect the long-term development of the entire society.” She candidly remarked, “This is not a problem that families can resolve on their own but a structural issue caused by China’s political system.”
She further pointed out, “If the authorities continue to ignore the real struggles of these young people and continue to whitewash the situation, China may be left to foot the bill in the future.”