Don’t Romanticize Developed Countries’ Living Standards

The headline: median Western wages are not what many expect

A recent analysis circulating in Chinese media argues that the lived reality in many developed countries — France used as the exemplar — is closer to China's than popular imagination allows. According to France's national statistics office INSEE, it has been reported that the 2024 full‑time equivalent (EQTP) net salary averaged €2,733 per month, with a median of €2,190. Using 2024 market exchange rates (1 EUR = 7.7248 RMB) that median converts to about ¥16,917 — a number that looks larger on paper but means less once you adjust for purchasing power and local prices.

PPP, price spreads and what "net pay" actually buys

Purchasing power parity (PPP) changes the picture. World Bank PPP data show $1 ≈ ¥3.53 (2024), and it has been reported that the euro’s PPP implied roughly €0.68 = $1 in 2024 — or about ¥5.19 per euro on PPP terms. By that metric French consumer prices are roughly 1.5× Chinese prices, not 2× or more as some assume; in other words a nominally higher euro salary buys less after you factor in local prices. The same piece cites Germany’s reported median disposable incomes (household ¥‑equivalents of €3,049 and full‑time employees €2,296, reportedly posted on China’s MFA site), underscoring that many Western middle incomes are compact when adjusted to PPP and household composition.

Everyday life, services and migration calculus

What does this mean for individuals deciding whether to emigrate or accept a foreign spouse’s income? Reportedly, many Chinese partners who settle in the West still need to work because a single typical foreign wage often does not deliver a comfortably higher living standard after housing, childcare and other costs. Language barriers and credential recognition further compress earnings prospects for migrants. At the same time, China’s service economy — led by on‑demand platforms such as Meituan (美团) — delivers convenience that often offsets nominal income gaps: same‑hour deliveries, dense urban logistics, and efficient digital payments materially change daily welfare in ways pure income comparisons miss.

Geopolitics matters too. Exchange‑rate swings, post‑pandemic inflation differentials, and trade and sanction dynamics all influence where goods are cheaper, how electronics prices converge, and which sectors retain premium wages. The takeaway is blunt: don’t romanticize developed‑country living standards based only on currency conversions. Ask instead: what will your actual purchasing power be, and what services — childcare, logistics, healthcare access — will shape day‑to‑day life?