In central China, I can get a large healthy meal with fresh vegetables and a lot of meat for less than $4USD. If you adjust for purchasing power parity, that would be like getting the same meal in the USA for around $8. But realistically in 2026 in the USA, it's going to be more like $12 at least. And if you were to do food delivery to your home in China, you might be looking at $6 USD vs maybe $25+ in the USA (excluding tip)? Why is this?
Why is eating out a better deal in China compared to the USA?
byu/wontforget99 inAskEconomics
Posted by wontforget99
1 Comment
Lower labor costs, lower ingredient costs, lower overhead, higher volume, higher density within the restaurant, lack of tipping culture, unpaid family labor, lower regulatory compliance costs, higher foot traffic in dense cities, high local competition, etc etc etc.