The cost of living varies according to region and city. It is higher in the major cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Nanjing than in other medium or smaller cities.
Normally, what a person earns in salary is sufficient to the needs and cost of living of the area/city. The foreign teacher normally earns a higher salary than their Chinese teaching counterparts. If prudent, teachers can save enough of their salary to travel during the vacation periods.
(Chinajob.com October 18, 2006)