Fees for nursing homes vary widely

A survey by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that over 60 percent of nursing institutions in urban Beijing charge 1,600-3,300 yuan ($264-545) monthly, and that 87.8 percent of the 400 elderly people surveyed entered the institutions of their own free will, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

The average monthly fee in urban Beijing is 3,300 yuan; in the suburbs, it is 1,800 yuan per month. Government-funded ones cost 2,200 yuan on average, compared to a monthly fee of 2,700 yuan for private institutions. Of the 56 surveyed institutions, the most expensive charges 7,000 yuan per month.