Compass
The guide
Shanghai
China · Asia-Pacific
China's financial and commercial centre, with the country's most international universities and the largest concentration of foreign companies in it.
Who this suits, and who it doesn’t
Suits you if you want business, finance or technology in Asia's largest market and the softest landing into China. Look elsewhere if cost matters more than exposure, or if your work needs an open internet and a Western regulatory environment.
The catch, and the way in
The catch
The most expensive city in the country, and the gap between the international bubble and the city outside it is wide.
The way in
Strong scholarship coverage at the major universities, several joint programmes run with Western institutions, and a campus-to-internship path into multinational offices.
Living there
What living here is actually like
Dense, fast and the easiest Chinese city to arrive in without the language, with a long history of foreigners and the infrastructure that comes with it. The metro is vast, food is the daily pleasure and the summers are humid and heavy. Rents are the highest in the country and shared flats stay normal well into your twenties.
How the money works
Tuition is moderate and scholarships are widely available at the main universities, so the cost of the decision is living in the city rather than studying in it. Rent takes the largest share and rises the closer you sit to the centre; internships in multinational offices pay enough to matter. Budget for the deposit and agency fees on arrival, which are heavier than the monthly rent implies.Described in shape rather than figures on purpose: rents and salaries move every year and we cannot keep numbers true, but what is expensive and what quietly eats income stays true for far longer.
The language you actually need
The most navigable Chinese city in English — degrees, offices and services accommodate it — but Mandarin still decides how far you get with an employer, a landlord or a lease. The joint programmes with foreign universities teach in English throughout, which is why they are the usual first step.
The work that clusters here
Fields with a real market in this city
Business & Economics · Computer Science · Engineering · Arts & Design