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Mohamed Oun
Shanghai
#23 of 124
Asia

Shanghai

China

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Shanghai compare to Geneva?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Shanghai is 36% better off vs in Geneva

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Shanghai compared to Geneva, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$79,812
-$64K (-45%) vs Geneva
Based on 256 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$49,005
-$59K (-55%) vs Geneva
Tax Rate: 39%

Community Insights

New

Shanghai offers a high-voltage, convenient lifestyle that can be incredibly lucrative for software engineers on expat packages. The city ranks high for purchasing power (#25) and safety (#23), allowing for a comfortable life where you can save significantly. However, the trade-off is substantial: you must navigate the Great Firewall, tolerate mediocre air quality (#100), and adapt to a hyper-competitive work environment that often bleeds into personal time. While the "Shanghai Wails" sentiment has seen some foreigners leave, those who stay often cite the unmatched convenience and energy of the city as hard to replicate elsewhere.

Resident Sentiment

Mixed and Pragmatic.

Residents often describe a "love-hate" relationship. They love the safety and convenience, frequently mentioning how much they miss the seamless delivery apps and mobile payments when visiting home. However, there is a growing undertone of fatigue regarding the internet restrictions and the "hustle" culture. Many long-term expats have left recently (the "Shanghai Wails" sentiment), but those remaining focus on the high quality of life their salaries afford them compared to the West.

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Geneva.

Rankings

Purchasing Power

Top 19%

#23

of 124 cities

Safety Index

Top 19%

#23

of 124 cities

73.5/100

Current value

Cost of Living

Top 21%

#26

of 124 cities

32/100

Current value (lower is better)

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Shanghai compared to Geneva?

Avg. Property Price
$10,831 / m²
47% cheaper than Geneva
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Shanghai to maintain the same standard of living.

$

Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
67% cheaper than Geneva
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Shanghai

PayPal logo
PayPal
Microsoft logo
Microsoft
ByteDance logo
ByteDance
  • High saving potential for expats on foreign contracts due to lower cost of living relative to salary (Purchasing Power Rank #25).
  • Unmatched digital convenience with the "super-app" ecosystem (WeChat/Alipay) handling everything from payments to food delivery.
  • Cosmopolitan lifestyle with a massive variety of international food, nightlife, and a vibrant (though shifting) expat community.
  • Excellent safety for a city of its size (Safety Index Rank #23), making it very secure for walking alone at night.
  • World-class public transport that is affordable, clean, and extensive, making car ownership unnecessary.

The Bad

  • 996 work culture (9am-9pm, 6 days/week) is prevalent in local tech giants, creating intense pressure even if not explicitly required for all roles.
  • The Great Firewall significantly hampers productivity; VPNs are unstable, slow down connection speeds, and often drop during important meetings.
  • Poor air quality (Pollution Index Rank #100) and grey skies are a common complaint, with some residents needing air purifiers at home.
  • Housing build quality is often lacking regardless of price; complaints about poor sound insulation, mold, and drafty windows are common.
  • Career glass ceiling for foreigners in local companies; moving up to management is difficult without native-level Mandarin and cultural integration.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

The Career Adventurer.

Engineers who have secured a lucrative expat package (housing allowance + international school fees) will thrive here. It is ideal for those who are culturally curious, willing to learn Mandarin, and want to experience working at the scale of China's massive tech ecosystem. If you are young, single, and want to save money quickly while living in a futuristic city, this is for you.

Skip it if...

The Digital Nomad & Freedom Purist.

If you require unfettered internet access for work or personal projects, the VPN struggles will drive you crazy. Those with respiratory issues should avoid it due to pollution levels. Additionally, engineers who value strict work-life balance or are unwilling to adapt to a hierarchical and intense office culture will likely burn out or feel isolated.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather3.8/10-7% vs Geneva
Safety74+4%
Pollution68+177%
Events0-100%
3.8/10TechCities weather score vs 4.1/10 in Geneva

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
20°C(vs 15°C in Geneva)
Average Low
14°C(vs 6°C in Geneva)
Sunshine Hours
1,776h/yr-111h/yr(-6%)
Hottest Month High
31°C(vs 26°C in Geneva)
Coldest Month Low
2°C(vs -1°C in Geneva)
Rainy Days
97/yr-14/yr(-13%)

Community & Quality

Shanghai community pulse

Shanghai has 0 Luma events listed.

100% fewer events than Geneva.

Net Income

Middle of the pack

#69

of 124 cities

$49,005/yr

Current value

Comfortable Weather

Middle of the pack

#80

of 124 cities

38/100 weather score

Current value

Pollution Score

Bottom 21%

#99

of 124 cities

68.3/100

Current value (lower is better)

Tax Rate

Bottom 14%

#108

of 124 cities

39%

Current value (lower is better)

Home Affordability

Bottom 12%

#110

of 124 cities

≈17.7 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Community Events

Bottom 5%

#119

of 124 cities

0 events on luma

Current value

SWE Affordability
17.7 years
2.6 years longer than Geneva
Muggy Days
117/yr+116/yr(+23220%)
Cloud Cover
47%(vs 50% in Geneva)