'Work to live' report fuels Big Mac, iPhone talks

Web users are busy asking each other how long they have to work for to pay for a Big Mac or an iPhone, after Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) released a report saying that Beijing residents on average work 34 minutes to enjoy the caloric intake at the fast-food chain restaurant while spending 184 hours on the job to gab on their fancy Apple 4S phones (16 GB).

The report focused on the average earnings of residents in cities worldwide suggested that Chinese employees clock in much longer than people in Western countries to buy the burger and smartphone. Specifically, New Yorkers work about 10 minutes and 27.5 hours for them, respectively.

Although the report pointed out other comparisons, such as that Beijing residents work an average of 1,979 hours a year with nine days of vacation, while in Paris, people work about 1,558 hours with 30 days of holiday, Web users were most disgruntled over discrepancies in China.

"The consumption level meets with advanced international standards, while the income is at the level of Africa - Chinese are optimistic to endure a year of work to buy an iPhone," said a Web user.

Web users also commented on the irony of the general situation, saying that Chinese people, who are always tired from working long hours for low salaries, are much more likely than their Western counterparts to frivolously spend their hard-earned money on luxury items.