Really? I was able to eat lunch in Shanghai for $1.44 and a dinner for 3 with enough to fill us to the brim for $24. Can you do that in San Francisco?

You can easily do that in Shanghai if you want. Yes, the low end is lower, especially if you don’t mind gutter oil, but menu items start ranging from 50-80 kuai in middle class restaurants (probably more in SH), and it only goes up from there.

Eating is cheaper overall I. China (50 kuai isn’t that much for an entree), but other things like cars and computers are more expensive, as can rent or housing prices. A pair of Levi’s jeans costs 800RMB, which is why many Chinese come to the states to shop.

my Nike Shirt was 80 RMB, though I'm not sure its real :; feels real.

Your example shows that you fail to understand how it's inaccurate to compare.