Rocketing housing prices have made people more concerned about the housing market. Some have even started saying teasingly, "Happiness starts with a house!" Let's take Beijing as an example. The city's average income is 8,717 yuan ($1,304) a month. The price of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 41.15 years of a white-collar worker’s salary. Or to put it another way, a 100 square meter flat can save him/her 41.15 years of hard work.

According to a study by Sina.com.cn using the statistics released by the China Index Academy, a house is extremely important for Chinese people. Owning a house makes them happier and life easier, especially in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

If you own a house in the following cities, you are among the luckiest.

No 10 Xi'an, Shaanxi province

Average salary: 5,765 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 9.67 years of working

No 9 Taiyuan, Shanxi province

Average salary: 5,784 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 11.61 years of working

No 8 Shijiazhuang, Hebei province

Average salary: 5,652 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 12.75 years of working

No 7 Dalian, Liaoning province

Average salary: 6,164 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 13.76 years of working

No 6 Wuhan, Hubei province

Average salary: 6,050 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 14.62 years of working

No 5 Qingdao, Shandong provicne

Average salary: 6,005 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 15.62 years of working

No 4 Tianjin

Average salary: 5,855 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 23.3 years of working

No 3 Shanghai

Average salary: 8,825 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 38.8 years of working

No 2 Beijing

Average salary: 8,717 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 41.15 years of working

No 1 Shenzhen, Guangdong province

Average salary: 8,141 yuan per month

The value of a 100 square meter flat is equal to 51 years of working

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn/china.org.cn)