Keep food and housing costs as low as possible: opt for monthly shared housing instead of daily rentals, and cook at home or use senior meal services rather than ordering takeout

In 2025, food accounted for 29.3% and housing for 21.7% of average national per‑capita spending — together they make up over half of all expenses. Therefore, cutting costs in these two areas yields the biggest savings. Based on the author’s experience, daily rentals and hourly rooms end up costing far more per month than shared housing; cooking at home is also cheaper than ordering takeout. When job hunting, ask whether housing and meals are provided — such offers effectively eliminate both major expense categories.

Cost

Finding a place to live takes 1–3 days. The security deposit is usually equal to one month’s rent (a rough estimate by the author). Cooking at home requires 30–60 minutes each day. The real challenge is staying disciplined enough to cook daily rather than ordering takeout.

Benefit

In 2025, the average national per‑capita annual expenditure was 29,476 yuan. Of that amount, 8,631 yuan went toward food and alcohol, representing 29.3%. Housing costs totaled 6,397 yuan, or 21.7%. Together they constitute more than half of total spending, confirming that reducing these expenses delivers the greatest financial benefit. Senior meal services are now available to all older adults; they include senior cafeterias, dining tables, and meal assistance points, with additional subsidies for those in need. For context, as of 1 January 2026, the lowest first‑tier monthly minimum wage across all provinces was 2,080 yuan in Qinghai, while the highest was 2,740 yuan in Shanghai (national figures for 2025–2026).

Notes

Monthly costs for daily rentals and hourly rooms are considerably higher than those of shared housing; this is based on practical experience rather than official statistics. Rules regarding access to senior meal points for non‑seniors and their pricing vary by region. When seeking employment, be sure to ask whether housing and meals are included — such arrangements can completely eliminate these two major expense categories. The original Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security page could not be accessed; the figures cited here are taken from a republished page on the Sichuan Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security.

Sources · 3

1. 国家统计局 (2026). 2025 年居民收入和消费支出情况. stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfbhjd/202601/t20260119_1962…
2. 民政部等十一部门 (2023). 积极发展老年助餐服务行动方案（民发〔2023〕58 号）. gov.cn/govweb/zhengce/zhengceku/202310/conten…
3. 四川省人力资源和社会保障厅 (2026). 全国各省、自治区、直辖市最低工资标准情况（截至 2026 年 1 月 1 日，转载人社部官网表）. rst.sc.gov.cn/rst/ylbxjwjgzxx/2026/7/10/89a8e…