All of it + $500. I opted for a nicer apartment to ease the transition and I’m so glad I did. I might downsize next year, but I get so much more for just a few hundred dollars. I love coming home and having a view.
We receive $1750/month as a married couple with child. We bought our place with enough down so that the monthly mortgage is $1290, of which $500 goes towards our principal (equity). We pay an additional 160 for HOA fees. We plan to rent it when we eventually leave the school.
I use about 60% of my allowance. I live in a neighborhood that isn't considered as nice as the one most teachers live in, but it works for me. I enjoy the shops and nightlife here. The apartment is comparable to ones that most teachers pay a lot more for because of the location. Having that extra money in my account each month makes it more than worth it.
With a teaching couple allowance we use 60% in Beijing. Our place is nice by our standards and in a good location close to school. The money we don’t use covers our eating out expenses each month with cash left over.
I’ve paid both under and slightly over my allowance. It depends on my monthly budget and savings goals, but overall I’d rather spend $200 more a month on having a comfortable and functional home than on partying or shopping. I’m strict about my savings goals and have kept that in mind when interviewing and accepting positions.
I think it really depends on where you are. At our previous location, we did not use all our housing allowance. We felt like all the housing in the area was pretty similarly crappy. At our current place we use our entire allowance because we feel we're getting our money's worth. And also it's pretty much impossible to live decently here without spending all of your allowance. Most teachers go way over.
Similar to us. It really depends on the city you're in. Our last city we paid under. Our current city has very high rent for very small apartments. We pay $400 over our allowance.
I live in the northern reaches of Jing'an, legally still inside but on the border with Putuo. 6 subway stop north actually. I looked for apartments near my office (beside the Temple) and they were small, old, outdated (although renovations had been done on many). These were the ones that would have eaten up all my housing allowance and often more.
I went a bit further out, have a 67 square metre apartment on the 8th floor with three elevators, new building, in the style of a serviced apartment with no services.
Two ceiling A/C units in a studio style with a washer/dryer, large refrigerator, ample counter space, Large walk in shower. Totally modern.
I pay 7500 RMB per month.
i'm across from the jing'an expo 110sqm 2br first renter after a renovation it was so bright and clean i couldnt' refuse and the view out into jingan - great and only 9 mins to work.
$1000 for the allowance and I spend all of it plus an additional $200 on utilities including high speed internet. I could've opted for a shoe box as I'm used to living in those but wanted bigger due to covid having me locked in a shoe box for months and feeling horrible. Place is great with a decent kitchen, balcony and view. I just love how spacious it is and that I can just truly relax and invite friends over. I've decorated it so much that I always miss it whenever I'm at work lol. Mostly because my home smells like my mum.
It’s great to save, but there are limits and effects of that too. Don’t sacrifice having a decent place that you’ll feel happy and comfortable in just for a little bit more money, it’s really not a good trade off. Of course, if you can get a place you really like for within the allowance, then that’s great. Plus, it also depends on the city and location too.
Around 90%, but plenty of colleagues spend around 150% and have a much smaller apartment in a less attractive neighborhood.
This happened mostly because they didn't take their time, because they felt pressured with the start of the school year rapidly approaching.
We took our time (but still maybe only a week longer than most others) and passed on quite a few places that were too expensive, too small or in a poor location.
We are often told we got very lucky, but I don't think we did - we just didn't rush it, and stuck to our list of non-negotiables (not paying more than our allowance, minimum number of bedrooms, not too far from a station, size, neighborhood).
To be fair, at some schools the allowance won't let you be very picky if you want to stay within budget (and at some schools you'll always need to pay extra), but we knew our allowance was ample.
Yes, every month in cash.
Although next time I change schools I plan to fly in two weeks before we are expected to do so, so my longer search for the perfect house/apt doesn't overlap with the start of the school year.
I lived in China and the school provided a free apartment as part of the package. Not a bad place as it was fully furnished from previous teachers who had lived there.
Think much depends on where you live and school allowance. In Thailand we made sure our allowance covered rent and all utilities and we had zero complaints about our place as for us the ratio of housing allowance to rent was quite favourable. When we were in India nothing we tried had us happy about our living and in Japan ....well it just is different and more complicated than extra for more is it worth it as getting any place is challenging. Hope that helps!
I use about 50% of my housing allowance and save the rest. Our place is by no means spacious but it's nice enough for me. We live in a local style housing bloc. Some other teachers rent bigger places in my city and spend well over their allowance but I'm not at home all that much so it doesn't make sense to me.
Thinking back to all my past positions, renting a comfortable apartment in a safe part of the cities required my whole stipend. I NEVER regretted it!!! Of course it is nice to have a few hundred extra dollars per month, but I wanted to be comfortable in my day-to-day life, and live within 20-30 minutes of school. (For example, when living in Dubai and Bangkok, I knew I wanted an apartment building with AC and a pool.)
If you’re young and barely at home then just get a room with a bed and a shower. If you’re more of a homebody or in any kind of serious relationship or have kids you’ll want that nicer spot.
Which country are you in OP where you can pocket the housing allowance? That’s a great set up. I thought most places make you pay it directly to the landlord in full and you cannot keep the difference. I might be wrong though, can anyone enlighten me on the housing allowance rules? I would love to hear from people from different places and levels.
I’ll start: teir 3, VN, housing allowance wasn’t much and paid as part of the salary, supposedly “tax free.” There was no difference to save.
At the school in China that I'm starting at this summer, you can keep what you don't spend but it'll be taxed (what you spend on rent isn't taxed).
Same with my flight allowance actually, which is nice because it's enough for flights to both my home country and my wife's home country (she's a trailing spouse, but we don't pay taxes if the flight is to her home country as well) and still have about $1000 left over from that allowance, so little under $900 after it's taxed.
Thanks, I'm very excited about it. I might spend all the housing allowance to get something nice but it looks like I should also be able to get a good place for about $150-$200 (before tax) less than my allowance if I want to save some extra cash.
China definitely has some great packages though. I got this with just 3 years experience at a bilingual in VN and it looks like a pretty decent school.
The allowance is part of the salary. But the salary is taxed.
Tax definitely limits one's ability to save, so there is a possibility of spending less on rent to increase one's savings.
When we first moved here I used the allowance as a guideline for choosing somewhere for us to rent. But when rents went crazy last couple of years (Singapore) our a very small apartment (540 sqft but with an excellent location downtown) we pay about 10% more than our housing allowance (rent only, no bills etc). However, benefits are considered income and taxed here, so if you look at the housing allowance amount post tax we're paying about 25% more than the housing allowance to live where we live.
Rent increase have stabilized a bit, and it would be possible to find somewhere to rent (that isn't a shared room) that might include a bit of a commute for the housing allowance post tax amount. Might. Anyone I know with 2 kids (so often a live in helper too) is no way able to live in the housing allowance amount. Just an indication and opinion form people here I know.
I live in Shanghai. I used to keep half of my allowance when I used to live near my job, but now use 90% for a place in the city centre. It was absolutely not worth it.
There are some countries where you don't get a housing allowance. In most (or all) Western European countries you don't get one (or any of the other usual benefits for that matter) as far as I know.
at the current exchange rate I get 1104$ and my rent is 2071$ (USD)
in local currency it doesn't seem so bad but when i look at it my home currency gives me anxiety
All of it + $500. I opted for a nicer apartment to ease the transition and I’m so glad I did. I might downsize next year, but I get so much more for just a few hundred dollars. I love coming home and having a view.
I spend an extra 200 dollars and love coming home
We receive $1750/month as a married couple with child. We bought our place with enough down so that the monthly mortgage is $1290, of which $500 goes towards our principal (equity). We pay an additional 160 for HOA fees. We plan to rent it when we eventually leave the school.
God dam. Thats amazing. Congrats. Where is this?
Lima
I use about 60% of my allowance. I live in a neighborhood that isn't considered as nice as the one most teachers live in, but it works for me. I enjoy the shops and nightlife here. The apartment is comparable to ones that most teachers pay a lot more for because of the location. Having that extra money in my account each month makes it more than worth it.
That’s a great set up. Which country are you in?
With a teaching couple allowance we use 60% in Beijing. Our place is nice by our standards and in a good location close to school. The money we don’t use covers our eating out expenses each month with cash left over.
Proximity to school is also important. Thanks for your comment.
I’ve paid both under and slightly over my allowance. It depends on my monthly budget and savings goals, but overall I’d rather spend $200 more a month on having a comfortable and functional home than on partying or shopping. I’m strict about my savings goals and have kept that in mind when interviewing and accepting positions.
I admire your discipline.
I think it really depends on where you are. At our previous location, we did not use all our housing allowance. We felt like all the housing in the area was pretty similarly crappy. At our current place we use our entire allowance because we feel we're getting our money's worth. And also it's pretty much impossible to live decently here without spending all of your allowance. Most teachers go way over.
Similar to us. It really depends on the city you're in. Our last city we paid under. Our current city has very high rent for very small apartments. We pay $400 over our allowance.
What city?
Santiago
I spend 80% of my housing allowance o rent in Shanghai.
i live in jingan . . i use 200% haha
I live in the northern reaches of Jing'an, legally still inside but on the border with Putuo. 6 subway stop north actually. I looked for apartments near my office (beside the Temple) and they were small, old, outdated (although renovations had been done on many). These were the ones that would have eaten up all my housing allowance and often more. I went a bit further out, have a 67 square metre apartment on the 8th floor with three elevators, new building, in the style of a serviced apartment with no services. Two ceiling A/C units in a studio style with a washer/dryer, large refrigerator, ample counter space, Large walk in shower. Totally modern. I pay 7500 RMB per month.
i'm across from the jing'an expo 110sqm 2br first renter after a renovation it was so bright and clean i couldnt' refuse and the view out into jingan - great and only 9 mins to work.
Sounds like a nice place!
I'm moving to Shanghai for the first time this summer. Allowance is 12,500 rmb. You think I could get a decent 2 bedroom/2 bath?
Yes, I think so and the further away from downtown the better the place. 5-6 subway stops makes big difference in housing in Shanghai.
$1000 for the allowance and I spend all of it plus an additional $200 on utilities including high speed internet. I could've opted for a shoe box as I'm used to living in those but wanted bigger due to covid having me locked in a shoe box for months and feeling horrible. Place is great with a decent kitchen, balcony and view. I just love how spacious it is and that I can just truly relax and invite friends over. I've decorated it so much that I always miss it whenever I'm at work lol. Mostly because my home smells like my mum.
Your place sounds wonderful.
We spend 1000 less than our allowance and save the rest.
It’s great to save, but there are limits and effects of that too. Don’t sacrifice having a decent place that you’ll feel happy and comfortable in just for a little bit more money, it’s really not a good trade off. Of course, if you can get a place you really like for within the allowance, then that’s great. Plus, it also depends on the city and location too.
About 80%.
50%
Around 90%, but plenty of colleagues spend around 150% and have a much smaller apartment in a less attractive neighborhood. This happened mostly because they didn't take their time, because they felt pressured with the start of the school year rapidly approaching. We took our time (but still maybe only a week longer than most others) and passed on quite a few places that were too expensive, too small or in a poor location. We are often told we got very lucky, but I don't think we did - we just didn't rush it, and stuck to our list of non-negotiables (not paying more than our allowance, minimum number of bedrooms, not too far from a station, size, neighborhood). To be fair, at some schools the allowance won't let you be very picky if you want to stay within budget (and at some schools you'll always need to pay extra), but we knew our allowance was ample.
Patience pays off.
Yes, every month in cash. Although next time I change schools I plan to fly in two weeks before we are expected to do so, so my longer search for the perfect house/apt doesn't overlap with the start of the school year.
This is such good advice
I lived in China and the school provided a free apartment as part of the package. Not a bad place as it was fully furnished from previous teachers who had lived there.
What a bonus!
Yeah man. Toaster. Rice cooker. Vacuum. Barbecue grill on the balcony. Even a housekeeper who had worked at the same apartment for like 10 years.
Think much depends on where you live and school allowance. In Thailand we made sure our allowance covered rent and all utilities and we had zero complaints about our place as for us the ratio of housing allowance to rent was quite favourable. When we were in India nothing we tried had us happy about our living and in Japan ....well it just is different and more complicated than extra for more is it worth it as getting any place is challenging. Hope that helps!
Context definitely matters. Thanks for that.
I use about 50% of my housing allowance and save the rest. Our place is by no means spacious but it's nice enough for me. We live in a local style housing bloc. Some other teachers rent bigger places in my city and spend well over their allowance but I'm not at home all that much so it doesn't make sense to me.
Thinking back to all my past positions, renting a comfortable apartment in a safe part of the cities required my whole stipend. I NEVER regretted it!!! Of course it is nice to have a few hundred extra dollars per month, but I wanted to be comfortable in my day-to-day life, and live within 20-30 minutes of school. (For example, when living in Dubai and Bangkok, I knew I wanted an apartment building with AC and a pool.)
I spend 90% of mine on my apartment in Suwon, Korea. I live near a park and the building is new with nice amenities.
If you’re young and barely at home then just get a room with a bed and a shower. If you’re more of a homebody or in any kind of serious relationship or have kids you’ll want that nicer spot.
Which country are you in OP where you can pocket the housing allowance? That’s a great set up. I thought most places make you pay it directly to the landlord in full and you cannot keep the difference. I might be wrong though, can anyone enlighten me on the housing allowance rules? I would love to hear from people from different places and levels. I’ll start: teir 3, VN, housing allowance wasn’t much and paid as part of the salary, supposedly “tax free.” There was no difference to save.
At the school in China that I'm starting at this summer, you can keep what you don't spend but it'll be taxed (what you spend on rent isn't taxed). Same with my flight allowance actually, which is nice because it's enough for flights to both my home country and my wife's home country (she's a trailing spouse, but we don't pay taxes if the flight is to her home country as well) and still have about $1000 left over from that allowance, so little under $900 after it's taxed.
Wow. Thats amazing congrats
Thanks, I'm very excited about it. I might spend all the housing allowance to get something nice but it looks like I should also be able to get a good place for about $150-$200 (before tax) less than my allowance if I want to save some extra cash. China definitely has some great packages though. I got this with just 3 years experience at a bilingual in VN and it looks like a pretty decent school.
The allowance is part of the salary. But the salary is taxed. Tax definitely limits one's ability to save, so there is a possibility of spending less on rent to increase one's savings.
50% in a decent place.
150% and it’s about to increase again. 😭😭😭
When we first moved here I used the allowance as a guideline for choosing somewhere for us to rent. But when rents went crazy last couple of years (Singapore) our a very small apartment (540 sqft but with an excellent location downtown) we pay about 10% more than our housing allowance (rent only, no bills etc). However, benefits are considered income and taxed here, so if you look at the housing allowance amount post tax we're paying about 25% more than the housing allowance to live where we live. Rent increase have stabilized a bit, and it would be possible to find somewhere to rent (that isn't a shared room) that might include a bit of a commute for the housing allowance post tax amount. Might. Anyone I know with 2 kids (so often a live in helper too) is no way able to live in the housing allowance amount. Just an indication and opinion form people here I know.
I get $500/month and spend all of it, plus about $100 for utilities, cable, management fees.
Thanks for mentioning the added costs. Definitely something to consider as well.
In Vietnam I used to save about $350-400 a month on my allowance — had a pretty large serviced studio. Was definitely worth it.
Can't relate since I spent four years in Saudi where they put you in a decent place so housing allowance isn't considered.
Including all utilities and fees €1100 out of €1850. Family of 3.
I live in Shanghai. I used to keep half of my allowance when I used to live near my job, but now use 90% for a place in the city centre. It was absolutely not worth it.
Do you guys have a housing allowance?
You don’t??
There are some countries where you don't get a housing allowance. In most (or all) Western European countries you don't get one (or any of the other usual benefits for that matter) as far as I know.
at the current exchange rate I get 1104$ and my rent is 2071$ (USD) in local currency it doesn't seem so bad but when i look at it my home currency gives me anxiety