China's City Comparison
WHAT IS THE BEST PLACE TO LEARN CHINESE IN CHINA?
Not Sure Which City to Choose?
Check this comparison table and find your perfect destination for learning Chinese.
What city will that be?
Traditional Beijing or modern Shanghai?
BEIJING
SHANGHAI
POPULATION
LOCATION
DIALECT
GETTING THERE
GETTING AROUND
COST OF LIVING
THINGS TO DO
CULTURE
CITY PACE
WEATHER
SAFETY
CUISINE
21.54 million
Northern China
Mandarin Chinese; Beijing dialect (close to standard)
Easy
Easy
(if not for rush hours)
Medium
(~ 600$ without rent)
Plenty
Traditional
Calm
Best seasons: fall and spring.
Summer – hot & humid (often rainy);
Winter – dry & cold (sometimes snowy).
Very safe
Beijing cuisine (savory, filling)
24.24 million
East China
Mandarin; Shanghainese (different from standard)
Easy
Easy
(if not for rush hours)
Medium
(~ 650$ without rent)
Plenty
Diverse
Fast
Best seasons: fall and spring.
Summer – very hot, humid (often rainy);
Winter – cold & humid.
Very safe
Shanghai cuisine (sweet)
POPULATION
BEIJING
21.54 million
SHANGHAI
24.24 million
LOCATION
BEIJING
Northern China
SHANGHAI
East China
DIALECT
BEIJING
Mandarin Chinese; Beijing dialect (close to standard)
SHANGHAI
Mandarin; Shanghainese (different from standard)
GETTING THERE
BEIJING
Easy
SHANGHAI
Easy
GETTING AROUND
BEIJING
Easy (if not for rush hours)
SHANGHAI
Easy (if not for rush hours)
COST OF LIVING
BEIJING
Medium (~ 600$ without rent)
SHANGHAI
Medium (~ 650$ without rent)
THINGS TO DO
BEIJING
Plenty
SHANGHAI
Plenty
CULTURE
BEIJING
Traditional
SHANGHAI
Diverse
CITY PACE
BEIJING
Calm
SHANGHAI
Fast
WEATHER
BEIJING
Best seasons: fall and spring.
Summer – hot & humid (often rainy);
Winter – dry & cold (sometimes snowy).
SHANGHAI
Best seasons: fall and spring.
Summer – hot & humid, mild winter.
Typhoons can occur Jul–Sep.
SAFETY
BEIJING
Very safe
SHANGHAI
Very safe
CUISINE
BEIJING
Beijing cuisine (savory, filling)
SHANGHAI
Cantonese cuisine (mild, light in flavor)
THAT’S MANDARIN LOCATIONS
Where should I go to study in China?
Both of them are modern cities with their own unique identities, infused with the traditional history of ancient China.
Learn Chinese in Beijing
You are into Chinese culture and want to have a taste of authentic Mandarin Chinese? Then Beijing can be the ideal choice for you as it’s not only the capital, but also the cultural and political center of China. More importantly, the modern standard Chinese has developed based on Beijing dialect.
Learn Chinese in Shanghai
If you are looking for fascinating job opportunities and would like to live in a modern area surrounded by skyscrapers, then Shanghai is your destination. Being the financial center of China, Shanghai offers numerous job opportunities for both Chinese and foreigners. What is more, at the end of 2015, the amount of “non-Shanghainese” took up to 40% of the total population of Shanghai.
