Shanghai expats highly paid, appreciate city's food, culture

The average annual income of expats in Shanghai was $202,200 last year, more than double the global average and much higher than other Asian cities like Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo, according to the 2017 Expat Explorer survey by HSBC that was released on Tuesday.

Globally, Shanghai was ranked fourth, trailing behind Mumbai, San Francisco and Zurich.

The survey also found that jobs in the education, finance and manufacturing sectors were the most popular among Shanghai's foreigners.

In addition to the attractive pay packages, the city's vibrant and multicultural environment was cited as one of the key reasons expats choose to live and work in the city.

In terms of communications, about 60 percent of the respondents in Shanghai said in the survey they were studying or already spoke Chinese, the highest proportion among Asian cities.

"Shanghai is the perfect international city for foreigners and Chinese to work and live side by side," said Steven Weathers, a US television personality living in Shanghai for over 11 years.

"Foreigners can have a comfortable life in Shanghai without even having to learn Mandarin. My friends often joke that if you want to learn the Chinese language, Beijing is a better choice. Shanghai is filled with Chinese who speak English fluently."

He also said that companies and businesspeople in Shanghai have a long history of working with foreigners, so the city is an easy entry point for foreigners who want to work in China.

Besides the vibrancy, the fine cuisine is another attraction of the city to the foreigners, according to the report.

Over 40 percent of respondents recommend the food and dining scene in Shanghai, a number much higher than other cities famous for food, like London and Hong Kong.

"Every day a restaurant opens in Shanghai," Weathers said. "That means you could literally enjoy a new restaurant opening everyday in Shanghai for a year if you wanted."

"Also, foreigners in Shanghai might enjoy more international schools, clubs, and classes and workshops, both modern and ancient culture, which is a fuller life than foreigners in other cities."

Ben Cavender, principal at China Market Research Group, who lived in Shanghai for 12 years, said: "It's true that there is so much change happening in the city, which makes possible a sheer number of opportunities that aren't available in smaller and static cities."

The 2017 Expat Explorer survey covered responses from 27,587 expats across the world. The research was conducted online by YouGov in March and April 2017.

There is a minimum sample of 90 expat respondents required for a city to be included in the rankings.