How much is enough to cover the basic need in your place?

I feel that you need to look at things from 4 aspects: 1. Your Career : Does working in your hometown or in a big city has any difference in helping to propel your career forward in a few years time? Is getting a raise in rank or salary easier in a big city? Would you be able to find more opportunities in a big city than in your hometown? Are there more job offers for your qualification in the city or in your hometown? 2. Your Family : Do you need to look after your parents? Are their health in good condition? Do you prefer to spend more time to be with them? 3. Your Finance : Do you need to support your family? Any family debt/mortgage/loan to pay? 4. Your Personality : Are you ready to live away from your family and hometown? Are you able to handle everything by yourself since it will be your first job and possibly the first time you to stay away from home. Are you healthy enough to take care of yourself? Are you able to stand the hardship and loneliness in a strange city? Personally I think that for a young man like you who are just starting out in the rat race, your career is the most important factor to consider when you are measuring the pros and cons of a decision. It may be more expensive to live in a city but if the city offers you more opportunities for your career which you could not find in your hometown, it will pay off in the long run as you get to work with better pay and better prospect to promotion as well as the chance to work in a big and well-known company. You will get to meet more people who may be able to help you career-wise later on in your life. Remember that you may need to work for possibly another 30 years - so you must make sure that you lay the foundation well enough to get a good paying job in a stable company and eventually to achieve job satisfaction. A good job is important but it is not everything. You need to analyze all the aspects and think over the good and bad points. You must be honest with yourself. It is helpful to discuss it with your family and close friends.

It's really hard to be apart from your family even if you know that living apart is the only way of surviving. Simple tip from mine, since I've been in the situation wherein I do commute 4 hours a day back and forth for work, let yourself compute the costs of living away from your family and the costs of renting an apartment near your work. Kindly include your expenses from day to day. If you think you can still save while living with your family, then do not think twice, its the best option for you. Good Luck!

Shanghai isn't the only option, though. Surely, there must be other places that have a more reasonable cost of living as well as jobs available in your field. Plus, how much it costs to live in an area really depends on the sort of lifestyle you choose.

I would recomend staying home. I thikn if you have the opportunity to save funds and still stay home that is a great way to get ahead and be able to buy or get what you want in the future.

I am from Oklahoma in the US so my cost of living is quite low. In the small town i live in I was able to take care of a family of 4 on about 1k a month. This did not leave much for extras and I had to stop smoking cause I could't afford the habit. My friends in large areas made about 2k a month and only had maybe 10% more a month to play with then I did. My of my friends are now looking at jobs in better paying states but fail to see that the cost of living is so much more then here. Just because they could make 2 times as much doesn't mean you should always take the job. Make sure you can afford to move before you do. Larger cities almost always cost more.

Your friends are right. You must consider all aspects and needs before taking a job. Otherwise you will find yourself working just for food, shelter and clothing. Working in the city has more advantages and opportunities than working in your hometown.

Before answering this question, we'd better define the basic need clearly. Different people have different definition. And to the same person, the basic need may change from time to time. For instance, a single man only need to pay the rent, which may cost him a high proportion of his salary but still acceptable. But after he gets married, he has to consider how to collect the downpayment and pay the mortgage in the future. Not everybody could afford such expenditure. As a resident living in Shanghai, I think the living cost here is too high for people to live, especially for those who come from other places and plan to work in Shanghai.