食玉炊桂 shí yù chuī guì

DEFINITIONS

  1. food is more precious than jade and firewood more expensive than cassia (idiom)
  2. the cost of living is very high

CHARACTERS

食 shí
HSK 5
eat; meal; food; KangXi radical number 184
玉 yù
HSK 5
jade, precious stone, gem
炊 chuī
HSK 6
cook; meal
桂 guì cassia or cinnamon