Those numbers hide important truths underneath. Cheap housing in China does not meet health and safety standards available in the US, so Chinese are "paying" more in the form of risk. Likewise with food - not sure I agree with your statistic at all, as food can be incredibly cheap in China, but not safe. Developed countries are incredibly rich, if you take into account what is available in terms of basic public services and quality. You may not be able to afford restaurant food in Iceland, for example, but you can be confident that you wont be robbed.