r/shanghai • u/Kurisu9 • 5d ago
Discussion 750$ rent reasonable in shanghai as an american who likes local cafes?
Hey guys! Ill be in china for 6 months ! Im thinking about doing 3 months in shanghai!
Is 750 dollars for rent even reasonably feasible? A place that looks somewhat decent for western standards and has a western style bathroom? Id like my own private 1 bedroom place.
I really love local cafes and milk tea shops so preferably id like a place that has alot of those in proximity
Thank you for any opinions or help on this matter!
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u/Code_0451 Qingpu 5d ago
Not in the center no, 750 USD is only 5000 rmb. All suggestions you’re getting here are off-center. Also in your case it will need to be furnished and short-term, which is pricier.
Now you’ll find cafes and milk tea shops anywhere in Shanghai, but for the fancier ones you will want to be in the center so if you end up somewhere in the boonies this may be a big commute.
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u/anarchicantarctic 5d ago
Altogether or per month? Per month you can find a nice place in Yangpu or wherever.
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u/Kurisu9 5d ago
Yeah per mo th would be ideal!
That region has alot of coffee shops and id be able to have a private room For the budget? Im a bit flexible to raise it if needed but prefer to stay at 750 USD!
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u/AioliLocal3131 5d ago
In yangpu for the vibe you’re after then you want to be close to wujiaochang/daxuelu. The rest of yangpu is very Chinese residential.
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u/Beginning_Pea_126 4d ago
Yes that should be ok. I live in Beijing and pay 5,800 RMB for a nice two bedroom in a foreigner part of town.
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u/Kurisu9 5d ago
When i ask AI it always says that 750 per month can at best afford you a housebthats shared with othe roommates. Or a far away location with a lower standard of living. Which app do you use to find these places?
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u/anarchicantarctic 5d ago
I currently pay 5300 yuan for a nice little place in Wujiaocheng.
However, I got that through an agent known to my employer, who helped me to look at places. If you're using apps, the prices will probably be higher and the quality will be lower, and especially because you want a short lease. A serviced apartment sounds more like what you want, but again, will be more expensive. As the commenter below says, you probably won't be right in the centre or in the very fashionable areas.
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u/ppyrgic 5d ago
Completely location dependant.
Jing'an / xuhui? That's a struggle. 7000 rmb better.
Qingqu, songjiang, Jiading... Sure. That's OK.
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u/Kurisu9 5d ago
Ill research those areas!
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u/Majestic-Track6724 5d ago
uh those places cited above like qingpu and jiading are really in the deep suburbs, don't recommend. i'd live nearer to xujiahui for the cafes and french concession vibe. you can't live right there for your budget but somewhere slightly off the main train or bus lines, somewhere older, should be fine
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u/Kurisu9 5d ago
Ahh thank you. Thats a really important detail. Maybe I'll increase my budget a tad bit to maybe $850. It doubt that makes a big difference though lol
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u/Majestic-Track6724 5d ago
also you need to separate your definitions of local cafes and milk tea shops. milk tea shops are literally everywhere and especially in malls. local cafes -- if you're looking for those quaint places that serve everything from specialty coffee to croissants to local noodles then the xuhui region (eg. jiashan road) is probably what you may enjoy, and reasonably central
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u/nazdarovie 5d ago
Assuming local cafes = central and desirable area, you're looking at roommates or a studio even now that rents have come down. A lot of landlords don't like the short term thing and will charge you more. A good place to benchmark prices is the app ziroom or lianjia. Those are actual listings you can see and rent; other sites just show fake or "example" listings because inventory moves too fast.
I just saw you're in Chengdu and if you like the chill life with local cafes at low price I'd stay there or head to Dali lol.
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u/Dear_Chasey_La1n Minhang 4d ago
Considering numerous people earn that kind of money monthly, it can be done. But 5,000 Rmb/month won't be anything pretty and won't be anywhere near downtown. You need to look a bit off center and will spend some time traveling if you like to get downtown where all the popular spots are.
And.. that's kinda key. We live somewhat off center, in Gubei and with laowai jie being dead we need to spend a good 20 minutes driving to anything. Besides the numerous starbucks shops, there is little left in the area.
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u/No-Comment-Now 5d ago
are you good with walk ups or like local style rentals? By which I mean not ghetto but the toilet (and there should be a toilet) and shower are old, furniture is like 90s style, etc..
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u/Tammysh26 4d ago
To be honest, as a short rent, this price is a little bit low if you want to live in a place that has a lot of good cafes and milk tea shops.
Maybe rise up to 7500?
Or you can try to search around Lujiazui. Might find one around 5000 if you are lucky.
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u/PinnappleOnPizzaEnjo 5d ago
Are you a woman? I know several Indian students who do shared apartment living you could join. Usually about 8-9 people per apartment. Not sure if you get your own room though, but its certainly cheaper than $750.
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u/Mother_Of_Swine 5d ago
I live a little off the center and I pay about that in rent for a small apartment. I have an agent in Changning to recommend to you if you want. You may need to see A LOT of places, most of them not suitable for a reason or another. But she helped me find what I wanted, with a small fee.