Definition

1. Noun:
   • Subsistence fee / Living expenses: Money allocated or required for basic daily needs such as food, drink, and essential personal items. It often refers to a regular allowance provided to cover these costs.
   • Cost of living: The amount of money needed to sustain a certain standard of living, covering fundamental necessities.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Công ty cung cấp sinh hoạt phí hàng tháng cho nhân viên công tác xa. (The company provides a monthly subsistence fee for employees on distant assignment.)
  • Sinh hoạt phí ở thành phố này rất cao. (The cost of living in this city is very high.)
  • Anh ấy dùng sinh hoạt phí để mua thức ăn và đồ dùng cá nhân. (He uses his living allowance to buy food and personal items.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is commonly used in institutional contexts, such as companies, schools, or government bodies, when discussing stipends or allowances for students, employees, or cadres.
• It can be part of compound terms in administrative language, e.g., (subsistence allowance rate).

Variants and Related Words

• Phí sinh hoạt: A less common variant with the same meaning (living expenses).
• Tiền sinh hoạt: A more general phrase for "living money" or pocket money for daily needs.
• Trợ cấp sinh hoạt phí: Subsistence allowance subsidy.

Synonyms

• Living allowance: A sum of money provided regularly for basic living costs.
• Subsistence allowance: Money for necessities to maintain life.
• Cost of living: The general level of prices for basic necessities.

Related Idioms

• While not a traditional idiom, the phrase is sometimes used in expressions like (to have enough for living expenses) or (to lack living expenses).

1. Subsistence fee