Business is Personal (Finance)

Now plenty of things are way cheaper here in China. In this previous post, I listed a few costs of living -- for example, breakfast for 40 cents. But some things are more expensive -- usually luxury goods. Some quick things off the top of my head:

• Cars -- there is a 25% to 100% markup. A Honda Fit that might cost $15K in the U.S. costs $20K in China. A Prius is easily 50% more expensive and if you want a sporty BMW, 75%-100% more expensive would not be unexpected.
  
• Select Office Equipment -- 100% markup. I spent $500 on Brother MFC-7840N where as the equivalent MFC-7440N would have been $250 in the U.S. (I could not get the MFC-7840W wireless version here.) The top-end color laser Brother MFC sells for $750 in the US, $1300 in China.

And the ultimate in luxury status-symbol goods is the Apple iPhone. Even with the original iPhone that only had internet access over AT&T, people in China were buying them on the grey market so they could have a super fancy phone. With iPhone 2/3G/3Gs, you now can fully utilize the iPhone over China's 3G networks and there's nothing people want more than an iPhone. How much does it cost? Well you cannot buy one yet officially in China but the 3Gs is available in Hong Kong for $1300 USD. Used 2.0s sell for $800 USD in Hong Kong.

So if you are interesting in a China vacation and have the contacts necessary, the 1st iPhone can pay for your plane ticket, the 2nd for your hotel & food expenses and all above that would be pure profit. (Sorry, don't ask me for contacts ... those are mine for when I make my periodic trips back to the U.S.!)

(Filed in china, cost of living)