Cost of living in Liuzhou - Part 3: Tea and Coffee

The summers in Liuzhou are scorching hot, so you'll need plenty of liquid refreshment. We've covered your beer options already, so here's some info about how much you can expect to spend on tea and coffee in part three of our guide to the cost of living in Liuzhou...

First off, tea. There are an awful lot of options in Liuzhou if you feel the desire to have a cuppa. There are also a range of price points, from places using powdered milk and flavoured syrups, where a large cup of milk tea will set you back around 5元 (56p), to upmarket establishments using varieties of tea brewed to order and fresh milk, where a similar cup could set you back up to 18元 (£2) or more. This being China, there are a whole heap of options available, and all kinds of goodies to add to your tea, but we'll save that for another post.

I'm a fan of one of the midrange shops, Comebuy, where a 招牌奶茶 house special milk tea costs 11元 (£1.23) and their 乌龙茶 oolong tea 12元 (£1.34).

Not being a coffee drinker myself, I've had to consult with our resident expert regarding the next section. Of course, many new arrivals will head straight to the comforting sight of 星巴克 Starbucks, who have a surprising amount of stores in the city. Unfortunately, comfort comes with a price and Starbucks are well know for being very expensive in China - this is actually one of their selling points as being seen in Starbucks is a indication of relative wealth. Anyway a medium latte (or 'grande' or whatever they insist on calling it) will set you back 36元 (£4.04) and a double espresso 22元 (£2.47).

A better option perhaps is one of the Chinese brands of coffee shop, for example Takeaway Coffee, where a latte, in a bigger measure than the grande, costs 16元 (£1.79). Their 抹茶拿铁 matcha latte is also good, and only costs 13元 (£1.46). There are many other independent coffee shops which range in terms of price, decor and quality.

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