Food and transportation costs are the game changers. Back in the states I would have to foot the bill for constant car upkeep, car insurance, gas money and etc. or strictly rely on Uber to get around. No good bus routes and certainly no subways in my home state.

There's a lot of wifi spots in Chinese cities that won't let you waste your phone data like retail stores, food shops, train stations, cafes and just walking around town there are free air-wifi that gives you service. That certainly does come in handy for reserving phone data. Of course 1st and 2nd tier cities have more of these city free air-wifi locations.