Reflections on the Shanghai real estate market from an expat

by Alex
12. September 2015

Price level for an apartment in Shanghai

I have been living in Shanghai for two years now and have moved three times. The reason why I have moved so frequently is not because of bad standard or that I was unlucky with my roommates, but I simply just wanted to live in some different areas in Shanghai.

I simply believe that the price level for apartments are the same as in my hometown Oslo. But if you live a bit outside the city centre, the prices are more affordable and student friendly. However, I am an expat and was given a budget from my company that I could use for a nice apartment downtown.

French Concession

My last apartment was a 90 square meter big apartment in the French Concession area – an area that is perfect for expats moving to Shanghai. I paid 4000,- RMB for this apartment and my boyfriend did the same, so the total cost of the apartment was at 8000,- RMB.

If you want an apartment in Shanghai, please contact us in the contact form underneath and we will provide you with some alternatives!

I was a bit shocked how much it costed to have a good location in Shanghai compared to other cities. There is a very close correlation between price and central location for apartments in Shanghai.

Puxi versus Pudong

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The prices for food and clothes are cheaper than in Norway, which makes it more economically convinient to live in Shanghai – but the rent is around the same. However, it is hard to determine what should be called “the city centre” in Shanghai. If you are a young expat that wants to live “where everything happens”, you move to Puxi. If you are a family looking for a good property in relaxed surroundings, checking out apartments in Pudong would not be a bad idea.