a blog by Peter Leonard
As you’d might suspect, there are two economies in Shanghai — one for western goods and services and one for an internal market of Chinese consumers. A case in point is the varying prices you’ll pay for food and drink. On the few occasions that we were able to escape from the (excellent, if overwhelming) banquets provided for us at every meal, we alternated between trying to find low-priced ‘student’ cafes and restaurants around the campus, and splurging on the occasional Western chain.
An example of the former is the dumpling-house shown above and below, where we took possession of 3 entire trays of steamed dumplings for less than the cost of a sports drink at home. Having just come from San Francisco’s Yank Sing, it’s humbling to think of how much lower the prices are in Shanghai.
Total cost: US$3
On the other side of the equation, Western luxury brands are at the same, or even higher, prices compared to the States. Weak dollar aside, there’s something wrong about paying an extra $1.50 for a Frappuccinno in Shanghai — even a delicious Coffee Jelly one:
