An empty rental and no relocation budget?
You can furnish an empty Shanghai one-bedroom well for roughly 6,000 to 12,000 RMB if you split the job three ways: IKEA for matching basics, Taobao for the cheapest new pieces, and Xianyu for barely-used furniture from expats who are leaving. Landlord "furnished" usually means a bed, a tired old sofa and not much else, so most people fill the gaps themselves in the first fortnight.
Good to know
- Good for: anyone moving into a bare or half-furnished rental who wants it to feel like home without a relocation budget.
- What you'll pay: about 6,000 to 12,000 RMB for a one-bedroom; a studio can come in under 5,000 if you lean on Xianyu.
- Make the most of it: buy the big pieces on Xianyu, the fiddly bits new on Taobao, and always tick "installation included" at checkout.
Where do people actually buy furniture in Shanghai?
Four places do almost all the work, and the trick is knowing which one to use for what. Buy your big-ticket items secondhand, your small and specific things new, and never pay a shop's showroom markup for something a departing family is selling for half.
| Where | What it's go-to for | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| IKEA (宜家) | Fast, matching basics, same-day online delivery | Beicai store only now; small flats swallow flat-pack |
| Taobao (淘宝) | The cheapest new furniture, huge choice | Quality is a lottery; tick installation or you build it |
| Xianyu (闲鱼) | Barely-used pieces from departing expats, half price | You arrange the pickup and a van yourself |
| Local markets | Solid wood, custom sizes, real haggling | Cash, patience and a little Chinese help a lot |
Read the table left to right and a plan falls out on its own: sofa and wardrobe from Xianyu, table and desk from Taobao, the odd matching basic from IKEA, and a market run only if you want real wood.
Is IKEA still worth it now the Baoshan store has closed?
Yes, but you will probably shop it online. As of February 2, 2026, IKEA has closed its Baoshan store, once the largest in Asia, and the Beicai store in Pudong (550 Linyu Road) is now the only full-size showroom left in the city. For most people the app and the Tmall flagship do the job: delivery across Shanghai is quick and cheap, and you can add flat-pack assembly at checkout. IKEA earns its place for the things that need to match and arrive together, a bed frame, a wardrobe, lamps and textiles. Just measure first. A KIVIK sofa that looks modest in a warehouse can eat a 40-square-metre flat whole.
How do you find expat moving sales on Xianyu?
This is where the real money is saved. Xianyu (闲鱼), Alibaba's secondhand app, is full of people leaving China who need a flat empty by Friday, which means near-new furniture at a fraction of retail. Open the app, set your location to your district, and search "moving sale" in English along with the Chinese 搬家 (bānjiā, moving house). Filter by distance so you are not hauling a sofa across the river. Message the seller through the app, agree a price and a pickup time, and book a small van on Didi Freight (滴滴货运) or 货拉拉 for the day, usually 60 to 150 RMB across town. Pay through the app's escrow, never off-platform, and you keep the buyer protection. Our full Xianyu walkthrough covers the scam-dodging in detail.
How do you buy furniture on Taobao without regrets?
Taobao wins on price and choice, and it will test your patience exactly once, on the day a flat-pack box lands at your building gate and nobody offers to carry it up. The fix is one tap: at checkout, look for 安装 (installation) or "包安装 / 送货入户" and add it, so a person delivers, carries and builds it rather than leaving a stack of cardboard in the lobby. Read the reviews with photos (买家秀), not the studio shots; sort by sales volume so you land on pieces thousands of people have actually kept; and message the shop to haggle on a bundle, most will knock something off or throw in cushions. If you cannot read the listing, our Taobao in English guide gets you through the checkout.
What will it actually cost to furnish a one-bedroom?
Here is a realistic bottom-up budget for a bare one-bedroom, mixing all three routes. Go cheaper by taking more from Xianyu, or spend up by buying it all new.
| What you're buying | Smart budget route | Roughly (RMB) |
|---|---|---|
| Bed frame + mattress | IKEA or a Taobao memory-foam set | 1,500-3,000 USD 200-400 |
| Sofa or two armchairs | Xianyu moving sale | 800-2,500 USD 100-300 |
| Dining table + chairs | Taobao or a local market | 600-1,800 USD 100-200 |
| Wardrobe + storage | IKEA PAX-style or Xianyu | 700-2,000 USD 100-300 |
| Desk + chair | Taobao | 400-1,200 USD 100-200 |
| Lamps, rugs, plants | IKEA + a flower market | 500-1,500 USD 100-200 |
| A one-bedroom, done well | about 6,000-12,000 USD 800-1,650 |
Dollar figures use about 7.2 RMB to the US dollar (September 2026), so treat them as a ballpark, not a quote.
Two costs people forget: a van for the Xianyu pickups, and the first month of utilities once the flat is finally livable. If you are still setting up the place, our guides to renting without getting burned and shipping your things in cover the rest of the move.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to buy furniture on Taobao or at IKEA in Shanghai?
Taobao is cheaper on almost everything, often 30 to 50 percent below IKEA for a comparable piece, because you are buying direct from the factory. IKEA wins on speed, matching sets and predictable quality. A common split is IKEA for the bed and wardrobe you want right, Taobao for the desk, shelves and small stuff.
How do I find furniture from expats leaving Shanghai?
Use Xianyu (闲鱼) and search "moving sale" plus 搬家 with your district set as the location. Departing expats list barely-used sofas, beds and appliances cheap because they need the flat cleared fast. Filter by distance, pay through the in-app escrow, and book a Didi Freight van for pickup, roughly 60 to 150 RMB across the city.
Does furniture delivery in Shanghai include carrying it upstairs and assembly?
Only if you ask. On Taobao, add the 安装 (installation) or 送货入户 option at checkout, or the driver leaves the boxes at your gate. IKEA offers paid assembly online. For a Xianyu pickup, you arrange the van and the muscle yourself, so bring a friend for anything heavier than a chair.
Can I furnish a Shanghai studio for under 5,000 RMB?
Yes, if you lean on Xianyu for the bed, sofa and any appliances, then fill in with Taobao. A departing expat's near-new setup can cover most of a studio for a few thousand RMB. Buying everything new from IKEA for the same space usually lands closer to 8,000.
As Laozi wrote in the Dao De Jing, 知足者富, he who knows he has enough is already rich; a flat does not need to be full to feel like home.
Words, maps and research by the Choice Shanghai team. Please credit us and tag our 公众号 if you share.
