Hey guys! Welcome to Living Abroad, a new series that shows you what expat life is like in cities around the world. Next up: Samantha, a teacher who has been living in Shanghai as an expat for four years. Here, she shares the ins and outs of Shanghai expat life, from soup dumplings to the importance of a good VPN.
If you’re considering relocating to Shanghai, I think you’ll really enjoy hearing about her experience of living in Shanghai as an American. Honestly, expat living Shanghai sounds pretty amazing — imagine all of the Asian travel opportunities you could have (and all of the Shanghainese soup dumplings you could eat!)
Quick facts about living in Shanghai:
- Language: Mandarin, Shanghainese
- Currency: ¥ Renminbi (RMB)
- Level of crime in Shanghai: Low
- Cost of living in Shanghai: Low
- Quality of life in Shangai: Moderate
Where to live in Shanghai:
If you’re wondering “Where do expats live in Shanghai?” here are some popular neighborhoods:
- The Former French Concession — a great neighborhood for young, single people, or families. The neighborhood is lined with trees (unusual for Shanghai) and has many shops, bars, and restaurants.
- Jing’an district — A really fun neighborhood that is similar to the Former French Concession.
- Pudong (also called the New Area) — another great neighborhood. It’s newer and has more modern and spacious apartments, and is especially popular with families.
Shanghai expat groups to join on Facebook:
On Samantha’s background and moving to Shanghai:
My name is Samantha and I grew up in Northern Virginia. I moved to Shanghai alone but now have an amazing network of friends and coworkers!
On working in Shanghai as an expat: In Shanghai, I work as a teacher at an international school. Because I am a certified teacher from a native English speaking country, finding a teaching job here was fairly easy.
I used a company called Search Associates to help find me a teaching job abroad and Shanghai, China, seemed like the best choice for me. Four years later, with no plans to leave, I’d say becoming an expat in Shanghai was the right choice!
On first impressions of Shanghai: Shanghai is definitely different from anywhere I had ever been, even in Asia. It is very modern, crowded, and full of life. I didn’t expect to see as many expat faces on the street or as many Western shops and restaurants. There is a Starbucks on every corner here and a TGI Friday’s down the street from my school. I wasn’t expecting any of that!
On culture shock: It is very common in Shanghai to “clear your qi” whenever you need. This means spitting, burping, etc. whenever you feel the urge, even if you are on a crowded metro. I’m still not really used to this.
On making friends: Since I work as a teacher at an international school, I was able to meet lots of other expats and local people right away I found a photography group, joined a gym, and starting going on day trips with some local companies. I’m lucky that a lot of my friends are still in Shanghai.
On meeting other Americans in Shanghai: To meet other Americans, I recommend joining Facebook expat groups (like Shanghai Expats or EXPATS in Shanghai) and putting yourself out there as much as possible. The Shanghai expat community is pretty incredible — you’re bound to meet some super interesting expats!
On transportation: Shanghai has an amazing public transportation system. I use the metro a lot because it is convenient and very cheap. We also have a great bike-sharing system here.
When the weather is nice, walking is my favorite ways to get around. There are always new stores popping up or galleries to explore, and it’s much easier to notice these new spots when you’re on foot.
On traffic in Shanghai: Traffic is pretty bad, especially during rush hour. It doesn’t help that driving is a little crazy in the city.
On Chinese food: Real Chinese food is amazing. It is so different from the General Tso’s chicken you’d get in the States. Foods from Sichuan and Yunan province are out of this world. Unfortunately, I don’t love Shanghainese food, with one major exception: Xiaolongbao. These are soup-filled pork dumplings that are AMAZING.
On international food options: We have chains like TGI Friday’s and Hooters (yes, Hooters), but we’ve also got many international restaurants. There are Japanese restaurants, Korean, Italian, Lebanese… the list goes on. One of my favorite restaurants here is owned by a French couple. They have the most amazing wine and cheese!
On answering the question, “Is Shanghai safe?”: Living in Shanghai feels super safe; it’s the safest places I’ve ever lived. I lock my doors and am vigilant when I’m on a crowded metro, but crime here is rare. I once dropped my cell phone walking home from a night out and someone turned it into the police state for me and I was able to get it back! [Editor’s note: Shanghai has a crime level rating of “Low“, according to Numbeo.]
On the cost of living in Shanghai: Shanghai is great because it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. Rent in a good neighborhood can be expensive, but it is cheaper than a place in New York, for example.
Related: What Living as an Expat in Singapore is Really Like
On learning Mandarin: I took Mandarin lessons during my first year in Shanghai, but i is not an easy language to learn. However, you really need the basics in order to get around Shanghai; most locals do not speak English, but it is possible to survive without it.
On living in China without speaking Chinese: You can get by in Shanghai without knowing Chinese. Most of the western bars and restaurants have English-speaking staff and all of the street signs and the metro is in English as well.
But I recommend learning some Mandarin, though, to have more authentic interactions with locals. A simple “xie xie” [thank you] goes a long way!
On great neighborhoods for expats: I live in the Former French Concession. It is a great neighborhood for young, single people, or even families. There are loads of shops, bars, restaurants, and activities around. I love it because there are also lots of little neighborhood parks and all of our streets are lined with trees, something you don’t get in other parts of the city.
Jing’an district is also really fun and similar to the Former French Concession. Pudong, or the New Area, is another great neighborhood. It’s newer and has more modern and spacious apartments, and is especially popular with families.
On travel opportunities: There are always cheap flights out of Shanghai; I have been all over China, as well as Hong Kong, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. My favorite places in China are Zhangjiajie (the “Avatar” mountains) and Guilin [a city in Southern China with dramatic limestone karsts].
On the best part of living in Shanghai as a foreigner: I love that Shanghai is always changing. There is always a new neighborhood to explore, an exciting event on in the city, or bars and restaurants opening up. It is pretty hard to get bored living in Shanghai.
On advice for new expats in Shanghai: Embrace the experience. You’ll be able to see and do so much in the city, so just go with it. Also, get a good VPN [Virtual Private Network]. You’ll want to be able to access blocked sites like Netflix, Instagram, and Facebook.
Recommend VPN for China: nordVPN, which has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Click here to get 70% off!
Thank you so much, Samantha!
What about you? Is this what you pictured life as a Shanghai expat was like? Does Shanghai living sound appealing to you?
P.S. The Real Truth About Dating as an Expat and What Living as an Expat in Singapore is Really Like.
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I love these expat interview posts! As a wannabe-expat, it’s so cool to hear from people on the ground and learn so much about where they’re living. Also, xiao long baos are the best!
https://teaspoonofadventure.com/
I’m obsessed with xiao long bao! Glad to hear you’re enjoying the series :)