In recent days, the question of how much monthly expenditure is needed to maintain a “decent” middle-class lifestyle in Shanghai has sparked widespread discussion due to several Shanghai bloggers publicly sharing their family expenses. The related cases show that for some families with mortgages, children’s education, and operating costs, monthly expenditures often reach as high as 60,000 RMB or even over 90,000 RMB.
In recent years, the cost of living for middle-class families in China’s first-tier cities has been continuously under scrutiny. Multiple public data indicate that against the backdrop of slowing income growth, housing, education, and child-rearing expenses constitute the main sources of pressure in family expenditures.
Taking Shanghai as an example, according to data from the Shanghai Statistics Bureau, the growth rate of disposable income for residents has significantly lagged behind the previous high-speed growth phase, while expenses like mortgages, children’s education, and healthcare show relatively strong rigidity. Several research institutions point out that for dual-income families with mortgages and children, fixed expenses often account for a significant proportion of monthly income, squeezing the room for adjustable consumption and making families more prone to financial pressure amidst income fluctuations.
In this context, the actual living expenditure levels of some families have gradually become a focal point of public discussion.
A blogger on Xiaohongshu platform, @Yangbaofamily, recently shared her own experience stating that their family’s monthly spending has long stayed around 60,000 RMB. The blogger felt immense pressure after their business declined and eventually chose to leave Shanghai with their family and relocate to Thailand. The video they posted has garnered significant attention and controversy.
According to the expense records shared by @Yangbaofamily, their family’s monthly spending mainly consists of three parts.
Firstly, there are fixed costs including mortgages, nanny fees, and car-related loans, totaling over 20,000 RMB per month.
Secondly, there are daily living expenses such as groceries, takeout, household items, amounting to around 9,000 RMB, and consumables like clothing, skincare products, totaling around 6,000 RMB, summing up to about 15,000 RMB.
Moreover, due to operating a studio, they have to bear costs like employee salaries and rent, around 8,000 RMB per month. In terms of children’s education, as they attend public schools, the expenses for meals and extracurricular tutoring are relatively limited, totaling less than 3,000 RMB.
Adding miscellaneous expenses like socializing, weekend outings, vehicle insurance, and personal consumption, their family’s total monthly expenditure exceeds 60,000 RMB.
The blogger expressed that under the circumstances of declining business and unstable income, long-term high expenditure has brought noticeable economic and psychological pressure.
Similar high expenses are not isolated cases. Another Shanghai blogger, @LillyAndOscar, revealed a family expense bill showing a total annual expenditure of about 1.14 million RMB, averaging 9.5 million RMB per month.
The bill indicates that only fixed expenses like mortgages, car loans, insurance, office rent surpass 34,000 RMB; children’s education and childcare costs are close to 10,000 RMB; adding in daily living, nanny, medical beauty, and clothing consumption, monthly spending exceeds 90,000 RMB.
Another blogger, @Facy, mentioned that their family of three also spends close to 100,000 RMB per month, mainly on housing, children’s education, daily consumption, and socializing.
From the expenditure situations publicly disclosed by multiple families, it is evident that in cities like Shanghai, the combination of housing, education, transportation, and socializing costs is making the family expenditure structure exhibit significant “high rigidity” characteristics.
In recent years, some families have chosen to leave first-tier cities and opt for areas with relatively lower living costs or overseas cities. Such decisions often come with a reassessment of lifestyle pace, educational methods, and consumption patterns, rather than just based on cost considerations.
It is worth noting that for some families, after leaving Shanghai, there has been a significant decrease in living costs.
@Yangbaofamily mentioned that after moving to Thailand, their family’s monthly expenditure decreased to 6,000 to 7,000 RMB, approximately one-tenth of their expenses during their time in Shanghai. She pointed out that the main reasons for the expenditure reduction include the disappearance of mortgages and car loans, suspension of operational expenses, and a decrease in social and consumption demands.
With changes in the living environment, family routines have also adjusted; work hours reduced, and time spent with family increased.
The discussions sparked by the above cases indicate that some families are beginning to reexamine their lifestyles and city choices. For them, reducing living costs is not just about “downgrading consumption” but rather a re-adjustment of lifestyle pace, family relationships, and personal needs.