How to Hire an Ayi in Shanghai: Cleaners, Nannies, Rates & Where to Find One

An ayi (阿姨) is one of the quiet joys of living in Shanghai. For a very reasonable hourly rate, a good household helper can clean your flat, do the laundry, cook, and in many homes help care for the kids. But hiring one when you do not speak much Mandarin and have no local network can feel opaque. Here is how it actually works, what to pay, and how to find someone you trust. What does an ayi do, and what does it cost in Shanghai? The word ayi covers a spectrum: a part-time cleaner who comes twice a week, a full-time housekeeper who cooks and shops, or a live-in nanny (sometimes called a 育儿嫂 for newborn care). Rates depend on the work, the hours, the neighbourhood, and whether you need any English or specialised childcare. Treat these as current ballpark ranges and confirm with the person or agency, since pay has drifted upward over the years: Part-time cleaning , paid hourly: roughly ¥40 to ¥70 per hour , usually with a two to three hour minimum per visit. Full-time live-out housekeeper (cleaning, laundry, cooking, five to six days a week): commonly ¥6,000 to ¥10,000 a month , higher in central districts and for heavier workloads. Live-in nanny or full-time childcare: generally…