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

A turret of the City Wall in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province. [Photo/VCG]

Average salary: 5,765 yuan per month

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