Shanghai: the vibe
Videos from people who went, played right here, with what viewers said underneath. Not part of the score.
The verdict
Liked · 66Commenters who've lived in Shanghai describe an amazing, livable megacity for foreigners, tempered by cost, damp winters, language barriers, and internet censorship.
- expat-friendly life
- spring and autumn weather
- safety
- infrastructure and modernity
- food and city energy
- expensive for some
- wet, damp winters
- language barrier
- internet censorship
- cashless payments hassle
- making local friends
- Many former residents say they loved their time there.
- Winters feel colder and wetter than the thermometer suggests.
- Cost can climb quickly for those used to cheaper cities.
- Foreigners can easily find pockets with few locals.
- Censorship and cashless systems frustrate some long-term newcomers.
Read from 8 videos, 37 comments and 0 posts on 2026-11-07; the summary is written by a language model and can misread sarcasm.
Why Shanghai is NOT for everyone | PROS & CONS of living in Shanghai
Kaja Kubicka · 140K views · 2021
What viewers said
“Get MY BOOK 'I lived in Shanghai' it's available on Amazon! https://amzn.to/3pLoeQ4”
♥ 21 likes
“I lived in Shanghai more than 3 years and I fully agree on your statement on the winters in Shanghai. I preferred the winters in Germany with 10 degrees Celsius below zero than in Shanghai 10 degC above zero simply because its so wet. It do”
♥ 58 likes
“I'm moving to Shanghai next week from the UK! Thanks for your videos, they're helping me prepare for the move :)”
♥ 88 likes
“Shanghai local, and I can guarantee everything she said is so true...”
♥ 9 likes
“The weather in Shanghai is actually very nice in spring and autumn”
♥ 34 likes
“I live in New York City. The thing is that most of the people usually hang out in their own neighborhoods or they would go to Manhattan from time to time. If two friends live on the opposite sides of the city, usually they would meet somewh”
♥ 65 likes
“I just moved away from Shanghai about a month ago, definitely an amazing city to live in as a foreigner, there are places you can go to where you won't run into a single local. At the end of the day it was a little too expensive for me and ”
♥ 75 likes
“I left Shanghai at the end of 2013/early 2014 (and China overall in early 2018). It's funny to hear that the same problems, ups & downs are still the same. I spent my mid and late 20s there, and had the absolute time of my life.”
♥ 13 likes
“I'm in Shanghai, I'd like to know more friends here.”
♥ 4 likes
“Well now I don't think it's that crowded”
♥ 4 likes
Found with a YouTube search for the city and “digital nomad”, fetched 2026-11-07; titles, descriptions and comments belong to their authors and link to the originals.