Shanghai

Regional snapshot

• Why people narrow here: The national profile lists Shanghai first among example cities (Puxi, Lujiazui, former French Concession) alongside Beijing, Shenzhen, and other tier-1 hubs; many expat and returnee networks in tech, finance, education, and manufacturing concentrate here.
• Main airports: Pudong (PVG) handles much long-haul traffic; Hongqiao (SHA) sits closer to many downtown commutes and domestic connections—choices affect housing and commute, not which national visa foil you need.
• Transit: The country profile highlights metro systems and China Railway high-speed links in tier-1 cities; Shanghai is a natural hub for trains across the delta and beyond.
• Languages: **Standard Chinese (Putonghua / Mandarin)** is the national lingua franca; **local varieties** (Cantonese, Shanghainese, Min, etc.) dominate daily speech in many regions. **English** appears in multinational companies, international schools, major airports, and some tier-1 hospital international desks, but **government counters**, **police**, **lease contracts**, and **most clinics** expect **Chinese** or a translator. EF EPI typically places China in a **lower** global English band nationally—plan on **Mandarin study** or professional language support for serious paperwork. **Simplified characters** are standard on the mainland (vs traditional script in Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan).
• Cost and housing: The national summary notes Numbeo-style costs often favourable versus the US composite outside luxury compounds in Shanghai or Shenzhen—budget prime districts accordingly.
• Healthcare: The profile calls out private international hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen with English-capable intake for insured expats, layered with public insurance schemes—complex cases may still route to Hong Kong or home country.
• Schools and hukou: Hukou still shapes public school access and some services; international school fees are high—the national pros/cons spell out the trade-offs for families.
• Daily digital life: Great Firewall restrictions, WeChat/Alipay mobile payments, real-name SIM rules, and VPN legal/practical questions affect everyday workflows—align with employer IT and counsel.
• Watch-outs: Employer-led work permits and document-heavy bureaucracy; air-quality swings (PM2.5) and regional climate variation called out nationally; street-crime safety in major cities is often strong, but traffic and food-safety diligence still matter.