First-world Services for Third-world Prices

One of the coolest things about China is that you can get 1st-world services for 3rd-world prices. Of course, you can get cheap 3rd-world services everywhere, but only here can you get treated very well very cheaply. Very often you get U.S.-quality services at 10% of the price.

For example, two weeks ago four of us had a shampoo, 20 minute head massage, 20 minute shoulder massage, a hair cut, and finally another shampoo. All in a U.S.-style salon where the four of us had our own area with up to 8 people attending to us. The whole process took nearly two hours, for the astonishing price of $5. It would have been much more expensive, $10, if my friends were not members.

Other examples include decent taxis for $1-3, an hour massage for less than $10, etc. Not to mention a maid, nanny, or driver, for $250/month.

What if such things were such prices in the U.S. ? We'd all be a lot more pampered, and probably happier.