Americans in China Are Asking Why Life Back Home Is So EXPENSIVE

在华美国人疑惑：为什么美国本土生活开销贵得离谱

Meals, transportation, everyday shop — Americans in China are sharing prices that make their usual expenses back home harder to accept. Some describe spending less while having more convenient access to the things they need.

吃饭、交通、日常采购 —— 身处中国的美国人晒出各类物价，对比之下，他们很难接受在美国老家的日常花费。不少人说，自己在中国开销更少，同时买东西、办事也更方便。

一位美国人目前在深圳一家私立双语学校当英语老师，他记录了自己在中国各地的日常和出行经历，同时发出疑问：美国人交的税到底都用去干什么了？

这位美国人说，他在中国打滴滴，3 英里路程只要2.5美元，买半个西瓜只要37元人民币，买6个包子（牛肉、猪肉、蔬菜混合馅）只要1.1 美元。对比起来，为什么美国的物价那么贵。

以下是各国网友的评论：

Modernnumismaticsguy
Our country has been taken over by people with tiny hats

我们国家已经被那帮人把持了，物价才会贵成这样

 

lancewood1410
You pay taxes so your US government can go to war
Chinese pays them for improved infrastructures :)

你交的税，被美国政府拿去打仗了，中国人交的税，用来建设基础设施

 

dawnezone8491
So VERY TRUE!! I hate the western mentality..its so destructive!!

说得一点没错！我反感西方的做法，破坏力太大了！

 

gebre3741
All Americans should travel around the world, so that they can open their eyes. All they see in the media is BS.

所有美国人都该出去走走看看世界，开开眼界。媒体上报道的全是假话。

 

willengel2458
Uber was in China but their earnings didn't meet Wall Street expectation, sounds familiar? they sold off their carcass to Didi so there's unknown part of Uber in Didi.

优步以前也在中国运营，但是收益达不到华尔街的预期，是不是听着很熟悉？后来它把业务卖给了滴滴，所以滴滴里面还留有优步的底子。

 

polysporin8332
USA in the last 30 years has been taken over by monopolies. That's why everything is so expensive.

过去三十年，美国被各大企业把持，结果物价越来越贵。

 

jimbaranresidence8
When u r paying $ into 4.7 family pocket

你的钱，源源不断流进少数人的腰包

 

DanBurgaud
Americans pay taxes to bail out the rich Americans

美国人交税，是用来给美国富人兜底救场

 

okoyematthias
They’re using your money to fight their never ending war.

他们拿着你们的钱，去没完没了的打仗

 

lijackson-x6r
China import gene modified soy bean from USA, and is used to feed pig or chicken, the gene modified soy bean can not be sold to the Chinese people to eat directly according to Chinese law. Bean oil can be sold to the Chinese people directly, if bean is gene modified, there shall be a label to specify this.

中国从美国进口转基因大豆，用来喂猪、喂鸡。按照中国法规，这种转基因大豆不能直接卖给老百姓食用。大豆油可以直接售卖，如果原料是转基因大豆，包装上必须标注清楚。

 

lijackson-x6r
China import soybean, corn, beef and seafood from USA.

中国从美国进口大豆、玉米、牛肉和海产品。

 

ians9390
we also make higher wages

我们美国这边工资也更高啊

 

donvongprachanh1484
This is the difference when your government love it's people vs the corrupt government who want to destroy the people.

这就是区别：一个（中国）政府心系民众，另一个（美国政府）腐败不堪，只顾压榨百姓。

 

ZhangSanFeng-k6c
America economy were designed around the concept of old money grip
Just like in lord/feudal era, the lord have "capital/assets" and don't have to work
So, in this modern era those conglomerate can go horse riding or yatching all days and don't have to work

美国的经济体系，本来就是被老牌富豪把控的。就和封建时代一样，贵族手握资产，不用干活。放到现在，那些大企业巨头可以天天骑马、玩游艇，不用劳作

 

mkhumbi007
Because America prioritises racism and wars whilst China prioritises improving economy and lives of it's people

因为美国把种族对立和战争放在第一位，而中国优先发展经济、改善民生

 

yogenale6096
I wonder how is it possible that the richest economy with the highest GDP, the strongest military with over 800 military bases around the world, the best in science & technology, the best in infrastructures, with sanctions and dollar power, lackeys in the pocket, literally the very best in the world sitting at the top still has these kind of problems?? I thought a country which boasts and preaches de ocracy 24/7 "government of the people, by the people and for the people" should be working wonders for the people, yet people are in pain in daily life must be a joke!!

我实在想不通。GDP最高、经济最富裕，军力最强，全球八百多个军事基地，科技顶尖，手握制裁手段和美元霸权，还有一众跟班，明明站在世界顶端，美国民众的生活怎么还这么难？美国这个国家天天鼓吹皿煮，标榜“民有、民治、民享”，本该为民众创造好日子，结果普通人日子过得煎熬，简直像个笑话！

 

duhuynh1143
China uses tax revenue from its citizens to build infrastructure—such as bridges, roads, high-speed railways, and public parks—for the benefit of the people. In contrast, the United States uses tax revenue to fund wars and support political parties in their power struggles.

中国把民众缴纳的税款用来修桥、铺路、建高铁、修公园这些民生工程。反观美国，税收用来拿到国外打仗，以及给政党权力争斗买单。

 

AnnaLeeAuthor
It might be reasonable to claim that was true except more than half of China's populations, can't afford to ride on HSR, pay for the tolls on its national highway system, or the bridges (some of which cost more than a day's wages for many people to cross). China built so much infrastructure because it had a massive unemployment problem because of Mao encouraging women to have more than 6 children each. The solution was keep wages low and overbuild to avoid civil unrest.

这话听着好像有道理，但事实是，超过一半中国人坐不起高铁，交不起国道、大桥的通行费，有些桥的通行费，比很多人一天工资还高。他们大规模基建，根源是失业问题严重，早年鼓励女性生六个以上孩子。为了稳住社会，只能压低工资、上马基建项目。

ToniDuke-s7k
@AnnaLeeAuthor I would suggest to take in account that China’s population is four times larger than the USA . It’s said that over 800 million people there have been lifted out of abject poverty. That doesn’t mean that they became middle class. To govern such a large population is challenging. But…they are at least trying to use taxpayer revenue to do something positive that is beneficial to the citizens…

要知道中国人口是美国四倍。有八亿多人摆脱了极端贫困，当然这不等于他们都成了中产。管理这么庞大的人口很难的啊。但至少，他们在试着把税收用来造福老百姓。

 

liamporter1137
US spreads lies and disinformation to demonize China so as to try to contain China progress. US has zero dignity and moral standing.
More foreigners should visit China so that lies and disinformation spread by US and West mainstream media will be debunked.

美国到处散播谎言抹黑中国，想要遏制中国发展，毫无底线和道义可言。希望越来越多外国人亲自来中国看一看，戳破美国和西方主流媒体编造的谎言

 

satriobudiarjo3881
The White House is full of deceitful politicians; even though their lies are widely known, these politicians continue to persist in their dishonesty to this day

白宫里尽是满口谎言的政客。大家都知道他们在骗人，可他们到现在还在撒谎。

 

ThereYouAreT1
But the funny thing is that China is the reason we can afford pencils in America

有意思的是，美国普通人买得起铅笔，靠的是中国

 

tomyeung8236
Tax, tax and tariff tax on Americans

税、税，还有各种关税，层层压在美国人身上，太难了

 

wilbertyoung8235
Ask your local politicians and their rich friends why and the excuse they’ll give you are like protection money (security), government benefits, funding programs (additional collection of taxes besides you have already paid for), intelligence funding (spying other countries including you), being humanitarian (giving money to illegal immigrants or to people who made intentional poor choices in life), restitutions from litigations, tax exemptions for the rich, etc.

你去问问美国当地政客和他们那些富豪朋友，美国的物价为什么贵。他们会找一堆借口：安保开销、福利项目、各类专项经费（已经交税还要额外收钱）、情报预算（监视别国，也监视你）、人道主义支出（拿钱给非法移民或者自作自受的人）、诉讼赔款、富人税收减免等等。

 

GGEZWPlol
America open your eyes!! we don't need war we can all LIVE TOGETHER!!

美国醒醒吧！我们不需要战争，大家可以和平共处！

 

jedics1
It was said look at a countries poor ppl to determine how civilised it is, I have watched many videos of rural China, all had large groups of ppl hanging out in public eating, drinking, playing games and clearly with lots of leisure time, yes the buildings were run down and improvised but this is something only available to the rich now in the west.

评判一个国家文明程度，要看它的穷人。我看过很多中国乡村视频，很多人聚在外面吃喝、玩乐，有不少空闲时间。房子确实老旧简陋，但这种悠闲生活，现在在西方只有富人才能过得上

 

kwokholuk8723
Americans: What are our taxes going to in the United States?
Answer: Your tax money went to the Military Industrial Complex. Your former president Eisenhower has already warned against the establishment of the Military Industrial Complex in his farewell address in early 1961. The United States has already spent 8 trillion dollars in wars since 2001.

美国人：我们交的税都被美国花在什么地方了？

答案：流向军工复合体。前总统艾森豪威尔早在1961年的告别演说里，就提醒大家警惕军工复合体。2001年以来，美国在战争上已经花掉8万亿美元。

 

AdonisTriiipleA
You should've said "White Americans in China Are Asking Why Life Back Home Is So EXPENSIVE"
People will disagree on me with this, but it's true.

标题本该写成“在中国的美国白人疑惑：老家生活怎么这么贵”

很多人会不同意我的说法，但事实就是这样。

 

nnaLeeAuthor
And the answer is when they get to China they're still on US wages, not Chinese ones.

原因很简单：他们人在中国，拿的还是美国工资，不是中国本地薪资。

 

klyl998
US is running by a bunch of idiots. While China is a country ruled by wise ones.

美国是一群糊涂人在掌权，而中国是智者治理的国家。

 

satriobudiarjo3881
In China, the approxmately 2,980 members of the legislature are, on average, individuals with master’s degrees—professors, scientists, engineers, and experts across various fields. In contrast, the 535 members of the American legislature consist largely of elite politicians and lawyers; naturally, this leads to different directions in government policy.

中国大约2980名立法机构成员，大多拥有硕士学历，很多是教授、科研人员、工程师以及各行各业专家。反观美国535名国会议员，大多是精英政客和律师，政策走向自然差别很大。

 

ians9390
yeah try living on a chinese wage, then it equals out.
this is such bs.

你靠中国本地工资过日子试试，到时候感受就不一样了。

 

ThereYouAreT
The U.S. government needs more of our tax money to fund the forever wars

美国政府拿着我们交的税收，去打那些无休止的战争

 

BRICSSCO
When you go through the immigration in the US and even you are a US citizens, you will have a hard ass time and rude immigration officer. That is my experience

就算你是美国公民，在美国过边检也很难受，移民官态度很差，这是我的亲身经历。