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11. Living in Shanghai

Shanghai at a Glance

Education and Shopping in Shanghai

Nanjing Road is one of the main shopping streets in Shanghai.

International Schools

For expat children in Shanghai, international schools are in many ways superior to the local Chinese school system. Older kids in particular would face an almost insurmountable language barrier, and the Shanghai curriculum might provide them with insufficient preparation for international universities in several subjects outside math/science/technology.

International schools often unite nursery, kindergarten, primary and secondary school under the same roof. Siblings of different ages can thus attend the same institution together. An international school will also offer them the opportunity to make new international friends and help parents to socialize, e.g. by getting involved in the Parents Teachers Association.

However, international schools are very expensive, too. Depending on the age and grade of the kid, the annual tuition fees may amount to as much as tens of thousands of USD per child. On the plus side, most international schools in China offer an excellent education, with teaching in the respective national language, English, and Chinese for non-native speakers. Moreover, most students sitting their finals at an international school can obtain both their national high school diploma as well as an international university entrance certificate, such as the International Baccalaureate.

In Shanghai, there are international schools catering to the Anglo-American, French, German, Japanese, and Korean expat communities.

Shopping

In addition to the innumerable local groceries catering to Chinese customers, there is also a considerable number of supermarkets and department stores selling Western food. Unsurprisingly, though, imported products are more expensive.

If you don’t mind the resulting higher cost of living, you can fill all your shopping needs at Metro and Carrefour when it comes to food or at IKEA Shanghai when you need to furnish your new expat villa. These shops are usually open until 9pm, including Sundays and holidays, while smaller ones close their doors at around 6pm. There are quite a few smaller 24/7 convenience stores in Shanghai, too.

Bigger stores accept payments by debit card or credit card. At so-called “friendship stores”, which are targeting foreign tourists and expats, you can also buy a wide range of imports, provided you pay for them with hard currency from abroad. For some local cash, there are lots of ATMs all over the city where you can withdraw RMB with your card, although the fees may be rather high (unless you have a Chinese bank account). You can exchange traveler’s checks for Chinese currency at one of the many international banks in Shanghai.

Availability of Goods 

Since certain products are hardly available in China, not even in Shanghai, here are some everyday items that every expat (expat woman, expat parent) should have in their suitcase:

• baby food / milk powder
• tampons (less common in China, more expensive, and causing complaints about allergic reactions due to local brands)
• make-up (Chinese cosmetics frequently contain dangerous skin whiteners)
• high-end creams, lotions, perfumes
• good stain removers
• sturdy shoes in large sizes
• quality plus-sized clothes (if required)
• enough layered clothing for Shanghai’s cool and wet winter