What It Costs to Furnish an Empty Shanghai Flat in 2026

A semi-empty Shanghai one-bed, where the landlord left the fridge, washer and air-conditioner, costs roughly ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 to furnish on a budget, or ¥12,000 to ¥18,000 for a comfortable all-new setup. A truly empty flat, where you also buy those appliances, adds about ¥4,000 to ¥5,000 on top.

What does a Shanghai rental already come with?

Before you spend a yuan, work out what stays. A typical Shanghai lease hands you the white goods: refrigerator, washing machine, one air-conditioning unit per room, and a wall-mounted water heater. Kitchen cabinets, a range hood and a gas cooktop are usually built in too. One thing almost never included is a tumble dryer, so factor in a drying rack and read our guide to laundry and dry cleaning in Shanghai before you assume you can dry a duvet indoors.

What you rarely get is everything that makes a flat feel like yours. Beds, a proper mattress, a sofa, a dining table, wardrobes, lamps, curtains and every fork in the kitchen tend to be your problem.

Some flats near Jing'an or along Wukang Lu come fully kitted, while plenty of cheaper ones in Xuhui or Hongkou arrive nearly bare. Confirm the inventory in writing before signing, and read our guide on renting in Shanghai without getting burned so nothing walks off before move-in day.

IKEA, Taobao or Xianyu: the three routes

Expats furnish through three channels, and the smart move is mixing them.

IKEA (宜家) is the reliable default. Shanghai now has two large stores, one in Xuhui on Caoxi Lu and one at Beicai in Pudong, after the Baoshan branch closed in early 2026. Prices are printed and honest: a double bed frame runs ¥299 to ¥1,499, a KLIPPAN two-seat sofa is ¥1,299, and a two-door wardrobe starts at ¥499.

Taobao and JD cover everything IKEA doesn't, delivered to your door: near-identical frames and sofas for less, plus lamps, bedding and kitchen kit. If you are new to the app, our guide to using Taobao in English walks you through checkout and delivery.

Xianyu (闲鱼) and expat move-out groups are where the real savings live. Departing internationals sell barely-used furniture at 40% to 60% off, sometimes far lower. Our Xianyu second-hand buying guide covers haggling, meetups and pickup.

What it actually costs, line by line

Here is a room-by-room breakdown for a small one-bed, comparing new (IKEA or Taobao) against second-hand (Xianyu). Appliances are listed separately, since a furnished lease often already covers them.

Dollar figures use about 7.2 RMB per USD (mid-2026) and are a ballpark, not a live rate. If your landlord already left the fridge, washer and AC, drop those three rows and your total falls by roughly ¥4,700 new or ¥2,000 second-hand.

Which route is for you

If you sign a one-year lease and want it sorted this weekend, buy new from IKEA and have it delivered. If you are staying longer and enjoy the hunt, fill the big items from Xianyu and top up small things on Taobao. If you landed with two suitcases and a tight deposit, go second-hand for the sofa, wardrobe and dining set, and buy only the mattress new for hygiene.

How to save without living in a bare box

The money-saving verdict: mix Xianyu big items with new Taobao basics, and time it to a move-out season. Summer and Chinese New Year are when leases end and people leave, so Xianyu fills with cheap, near-new furniture from June through August and again in January.

Buy the mattress and anything soft and close to skin new. Everything hard, a frame, a table, a wardrobe, a lamp, is fine second-hand. Cluster your pickups into one van hire, around ¥100 to ¥300 through 货拉拉, instead of paying delivery three separate times.

If appliances are missing, entry 200-litre fridges and 8kg drum washers each sit around ¥1,000 to ¥1,500 on JD, and a 1.5HP split AC lands near ¥1,500 to ¥2,500 installed. To see where all this fits your budget and area, read our Shanghai cost of living guide and where to live sorted by your rent.

Common questions

How much does it cost to furnish a Shanghai apartment?

Furnishing a Shanghai one-bedroom runs about ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 if you shop Xianyu and Taobao, or ¥12,000 to ¥18,000 for an all-new IKEA setup. Add roughly ¥4,000 to ¥5,000 when the flat has no fridge, washer or air-conditioner. A studio costs less, and a small two-bed a little more.

Does a Shanghai rental come with a fridge and washing machine?

Usually yes. Landlords treat a fridge, washing machine, air-conditioner and water heater as fixtures, so a normal lease includes them. Bare-shell 清水房 flats with no appliances exist and rent cheaper. Whatever is promised, photograph every appliance on move-in day and list it in the contract so repairs stay the landlord's job.

Where do expats buy cheap second-hand furniture in Shanghai?

Xianyu (闲鱼) is the main second-hand app, and WeChat groups such as Shanghai expat move-out sales and Buy Nothing Shanghai post listings daily. Sellers often write in English and many arrange their own van. Classifieds on expat community sites also carry furniture bundles from people leaving the country.

Is IKEA or Taobao cheaper for furnishing a Shanghai flat?

Taobao is usually cheaper for a similar item, since IKEA charges for its brand and showroom. IKEA wins on speed, in-store viewing and predictable quality, which matters for a sofa or mattress you cannot test online. A common split is IKEA for seating and beds, Taobao for lamps, shelves and kitchen kit.