FAQ - What are the Prices for Day-to-Day Things?

Alex C-G

What are the prices for day to day things?

On the whole, prices in Shanghai are a lot cheaper than the West, with the main exceptions being coffee, bars and pet food. Compared to the rest of China, however, it's pretty expensive, coming in at number 30 on the Global Cost of Living Survey, compared to Beijing's 19.

Eating Out

A lot depends on the kind of lifestyle you want to lead. Eating foreign food for every meal (and I don't mean McDonalds) could blow your food budget to 100 RMB per day or up, depending on what and where you eat. For those on a budget, cheap eats like beef noodles (niurou lamian) can be found for about 5 RMB a bowl, and lamb shish kebabs (yangrou chuan) at 2 RMB each. Cheap food can be found at many roadside eateries, but generally the menu will be all in Chinese. For an easier culinary experience, you could try a foodcourt. There are several Megabite foodcourts dotted around Shanghai's landscape, including one in Raffles City on Wulumuqi Rd. Prices are usually in the range of 20 to 30 RMB for a generous portion. Plastic models of the available dishes greet you upon entering, so ordering is just a case of pointing. Just remember to pay before you enter the foodcourt -- food is purchased via a prepaid card, and the remaining balance can be redeemed after your meal. For those looking for something a bit fancier, swanky places abound. Just check out some of the local magazines like 8 Days or City Weekend for details.

Groceries

For buying groceries, Shanghai has lots of supermarkets like the smaller Lianhua or the mammoth Carrefour. Carrefour offers good deals on most things, though for some specialty foreign items you may have better luck at City Supermarket or Freshmart in Jing'an Temple Metro Station. There are also lots of local markets in case you want fresh produce, and a large food market around the back of the Xiangyang Fakes Market. It's not for the squeamish however...unshelled turtles and half-dead fish do not a pretty sight make. If you're in a rush then the convenience stores, such as Kedi, Alldays and Lawsons, have plenty of common goods, though the prices are a little more expensive than the supermarkets. Some groceries are a little more expensive than you'd expect. Cat food is around 10 RMB a can (because only foreigners seem to keep cats) and it's damn near impossible to get any box of breakfast cereal for under 50 RMB.

Chilling Out

Leisure time can be quite expensive in Shanghai, with a tall coffee at Starbucks going for something like 20 RMB and bar prices usually ranging from 30 RMB to 50 RMB per drink. Try to go during happy hours to get half price drinks. On the other hand, if you just want to sit on the couch and drink beer, then cheap bottles can be bought at the convenience stores, starting at about 3 RMB for bog basic Suntory blue and rising to about 8 RMB for Heineken. For a cheap way of relaxing, try the park. Most of the parks are free during summer and offer enough room to spread out and take it easy. In the winter there's usually a small cover charge. Just try to avoid the weekends unless you like being crushed by crowds. Another joy of weekend park visiting is the "English Corner" in which you'll be accosted by various locals wanting to improve their English. Sure, it can be a good way to network, but it does cut into your leisure time.

Getting Around

China is land of bicycles. Everyone rides them, falls off them and sooner or later gets hit by them. Luckily they're not that expensive -- around 200 to 500 RMB for a good model. Taxi fares start at 10 RMB for the first 3 km, and 1 RMB for each km thereafter. That's during the day at least -- they start at 13 RMB after 11pm and the fare rises more steeply too. For agoraphobes and anyone who has a thing for being sandwiched between lots of sweaty people, the Metro system is a godsend. It'll also get you where you need to go quickly and pretty cheaply. Fares are usually 2-3 RMB, and the most expensive is 5 RMB. Trains usually run every 5 minutes until around 11pm, with trains running more frequently at peak hours. They're also great stress relief in a way -- pushing little old ladies out of the way so you can get onboard has never been so much fun! Traffic cards can be bought for 50 RMB and topped up at Metro stations and many convenience stores. They let you travel on the Metro system, taxis, buses, light railway, MagLev and lots more. Buying a car is not reccommended unless you have money to burn and a death wish to boot. The Shanghainese aren't exactly known for their great driving skills and private car ownership is still in its infancy, as is the ability of most of the drivers. Buying a car isn't much use unless you can get it registered, and registration is allotted via auction. Spaces are limited, so prices are sky-high.

Staying Healthy

For basic pharmaceutical needs, Watsons has many stores all around Shanghai where you can buy most pills. Healthcare prices vary, with foreign facilities and doctors obviously costing a lot more.

Accommodation

Shanghai's real estate market is currently in the middle of a bubble, so prices are high compared to just about anywhere in the world. At the bottom end, the rent for a small one-bedroom apartment would usually range from about 1600 to 2500 depending on the area it's in, and at the top end there are period houses in the French concession with monthly rents quoted in US Dollars. They're not so cheap to say the least. If you're only here for a short while, there are plenty of hostels around, starting from about 60 RMB per night for a single room.

Useful Links

• Living Cost in Shanghai (via Wangjianshuo's Blog)
• Comparative Study on Cost of Living for Expatriates across Cities (from 2001 - now a little dated)
• Global Cost of Living Survey 2005
• The Economist Big Mac Index