A bare Shanghai flat can cost as little as ¥5,000 or as much as ¥18,000 to make livable, depending on whether you hunt Xianyu or fill a trolley at IKEA.
A semi-empty Shanghai one-bed, where the landlord left the fridge, washer and air-conditioner, costs roughly ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 (about USD 741 to 1,182) to furnish on a budget, or ¥12,000 to ¥18,000 (about USD 1,827 to 2,687) for a comfortable all-new setup. A truly empty flat, where you also buy those appliances, adds about ¥4,000 to ¥5,000 (about USD 602 to 741) on top.
Good to know
- Good for: anyone signing a lease on a bare or semi-empty flat who wants one honest number before they start spending.
- What you'll pay: ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 (about USD 741 to 1,182) budget, ¥12,000 to ¥18,000 (about USD 1,827 to 2,687) comfortable, plus roughly ¥4,000 to ¥5,000 (about USD 602 to 741) if you also buy the big appliances.
- Make the most of it: time your Xianyu hunt to the summer and Chinese New Year move-out waves, when near-new furniture floods the app.
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 (550 Linyu Road), after the Baoshan branch closed on February 2, 2026. Prices are printed and honest: a double bed frame runs ¥299 to ¥1,499 (about USD 45 to 226), a KLIPPAN two-seat sofa is ¥1,299 (about USD 193), and a two-door wardrobe starts at ¥499 (about USD 74).
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.
| Item | New (IKEA/Taobao) | Second-hand (Xianyu) |
|---|---|---|
| Bed frame + mattress | ¥1,800 USD 269 |
¥800 USD 119 |
| Sofa | ¥1,300 USD 193 |
¥500 USD 74 |
| Dining table + chairs | ¥900 USD 134 |
¥400 USD 60 |
| Wardrobe / storage | ¥700 USD 104 |
¥300 USD 45 |
| Lighting (2 to 3 lamps) | ¥400 USD 60 |
¥150 USD 23 |
| Kitchen basics (pots, dishes, kettle) | ¥500 USD 74 |
¥200 USD 30 |
| Soft furnishings (bedding, curtains, rug) | ¥700 USD 104 |
¥250 USD 38 |
| Fridge (if not included) | ¥1,200 USD 179 |
¥500 USD 74 |
| Washing machine (if not included) | ¥1,500 USD 224 |
¥600 USD 89 |
| Split AC + install (if not included) | ¥2,000 USD 299 |
¥900 USD 134 |
| Delivery / installation | ¥400 USD 60 |
¥300 USD 45 |
| Total | ¥11,400 USD 1,701 |
¥4,900 USD 732 |
Dollar figures use about 6.7 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 (about USD 699) new or ¥2,000 (about USD 301) 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 (about USD 15 to 45) 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 (about USD 150 to 226) on JD, and a 1.5HP split AC lands near ¥1,500 to ¥2,500 (about USD 226 to 376) 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.
Laozi wrote 知足者富, he who knows he has enough is already rich. A room finds its calm not when every corner is filled, but when you stop needing to fill them.
How much does it cost to furnish a Shanghai apartment?
Furnishing a Shanghai one-bedroom runs about ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 (about USD 741 to 1,182) if you shop Xianyu and Taobao, or ¥12,000 to ¥18,000 (about USD 1,827 to 2,687) for an all-new IKEA setup. Add roughly ¥4,000 to ¥5,000 w (about USD 602 to 7.46m) hen 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.
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 (delivery to your door) option at checkout, or the driver leaves the boxes at your building gate. IKEA offers paid assembly online at the same checkout. For a Xianyu pickup you arrange the van and the muscle yourself, so bring a friend for anything heavier than a chair.
