I'm a college student who will be living there for 5 weeks. The places I stay and food are all being provided by the company im going...but still i'd like to carry around some cash over there.

should i covert it?

I was told by a fellow friend living in china once said that everything here in the states is super expensive when you can get it there for really cheap. people can buy their wardrobes in china for a fraction of the cost. is this true? and if so, examples?

Anything else? It's my first time travelling outside the country.

From calamityjane: China is very, very cheap compared with the West. Change ...
China is very, very cheap compared with the West. Change your US dollars into rmb yuan at the airport easily. Really decent meal with a couple of beers 1 ($2) Beware the food if you are squeamish about meat. They eat "animal" rather than the "muscle" we mainly eat in the West - the whole lot; skin, fat, bones, internal organs, feet. If you are OK with that, or can pick your way through it, the food is delicious, although NOTHING like a "Chinese" at home. Shanghai in July will be very hot and very humid. Don't EVER drink tap water, and steer clear of public toilets; the worst in Asia.

From Lucy: i dont think with $2 u can have a good meal with some ...
i dont think with $2 u can have a good meal with some beers. maybe u can do it at some dirty food stands... i am a shanghainese, so , i know this city well if ur food and living will be provided , then that cant be better the clothes are cheap there, but only those in the fake market,and u should know how to bargain. and the night life there is famouse, u can find many decent restaurants and bars , clubs there/// the beer in bar is from 20 RMB to 70 RMB depends where u go ...and the famouse bar alley are Tongren RD, Hengshan RD, Hongmei RD,Xintiandi. easy to find them on the map the restaurant there ...how to say , once i with my friend in the one western restaurant in Xintiandi, costed us 700 RMB for two person . so i dont think that is cheap. and usually if we family go to chinese restaurant , also should pay at least 1000 RMB for one table , around 7 or 8 person . and u will land at the PuDong International Airport , so , take the real taxi , u can ask the worker there...where is the taxi stop. well , what i like is the fake DVD in shanghai is really good , buy the D9 , from 5 to 12 RMB , depends on the quality .. cheap and good u can go to this website . there are more imfors i think http://www.smartshanghai.com good luck

From Mr. W: housing would be your biggest expense living in Shanghai, ...
housing would be your biggest expense living in Shanghai, but that is going to be covered, food is pretty cheap (Chinese food that is, Western restaurants are a little pricey), you can use your ATM card here at CITI Bank or the Bank of China, BUT make sure you tell your bank and credit cards that you will be here using them, b/c they may think it was stolen and shut it down (happened to me once, pain in the neck trying to get it back up and running), bring some cash to exchange when you land in Shanghai, there are a couple of banks at the airport, the down side about buying your wardrobe here is 1 - western people are usually bigger in stature, like thin girls from the USA still find it hard finding pants that fit b/c Chinese girls, 2 - the quality is not good, I bought a pair of brand name sneakers at a mall and they fell apart in three month, I found out that they were for selling inside China not exported to the West Make sure you drink LOTS of water when you are here, it is easy to get dehydrated in the summer months, also there seems to be a lot of pickpockets, so make sure when you are on the bus or subway your bags are closed tightly and your valuables are secure

From grendeth: All I can say is, it depends on you and your lifestyle. You ...
All I can say is, it depends on you and your lifestyle. You can get a meal for RMB8 and you can spend over RMB800 at M on the Bund. There are restaurants that sell beer for US5 a bottle (at Xin Tian Di) and a large bottle of Tsingtao for $US1.20. There are also a lot of musuems and things to see in Shanghai that require money. If you take taxis, well that cost more than taking the train. Overall for 5 weeks, no including lodgings, you are looking at US$1000 for a decent time. Look, how many times do you get to go to China, so you might as well enjoy it a bit.

From Rick: Clothes can be cheap, but the quality of thread and sewing ...
Clothes can be cheap, but the quality of thread and sewing might be poor. Food is a bargain in Shanghai if you eat at acceptable, but not extravagent, places. I suggest you go to any of the Carrefour supermarkets to check out snacks; also, most have food booths inside (you have to buy a scan card as they don't take cash at the individual booths) - some have McDonald's inside. Even if food is supplied by your company, you may want to eat out on your own. There are numerous "rip-off" mechandise locations, but, again, the quality may leave something to be desired. The Shanghai Museum in Peoples Square is very good, as it the new Aquarium. You will want to visit the Jin Mao Tower (the tallest in Shanghai right now, but across the street from what will be the world's tallest building, the Shanghai Financial Centre). Get your cash when you get here from an ATM (just make sure your bank knows you are in China before you go). Take a guided tour when you arrive to get a feel for the city. If you want the save money, there are sightseeing buses, leaving from the Shanghai Stadium, which go around the city. Don't be shocked (if possible) by the absolutely terrible drivers (they go through red lights and speed up when going through pedestrian crosswalks, scattering walkers out of their way).

From sharaont: The last time I was in Shanghai was like in 2001. I ...
The last time I was in Shanghai was like in 2001. I don't remember a lot but I think there were some things that were not cheap. But overall, almost everything is cheap, compared to the US

From Bill Greyskull: In China's major cities, life can be as cheap or as ...
In China's major cities, life can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. For example, you can hit a mid-range Chinese restaurant and eat and drink Chinese beer for two hours and spend 6-8 USD, even in Shanghai. If you want to hit a noodle shack, like a previous answerer mentioned, you can have some noodles and mystery meat for a buck. But if you are well to do and have money to spend, there is no end to the amount of money you can drop at clubs and high-end restaurants. That's great that you have meals and lodging taken care of. If you want to save money, you can still have a really awesome China experience going to local-style restaurants (you will want to break free from your handlers, eventually) and scouring your town for cool things to buy on the cheap. Get your feet on the ground and tell us what you picked up after a weekend of cruising alleys and markets. Coming from the States, you will find that your money will go a long way, regardless. Tailoring is cheap, but quality in Mainland China is poor compared to Hong Kong or Thailand. Post what city you are in so people can give you more specific examples of places to check out. You should convert 100 USD or so before you come. Otherwise, you can just withdraw from your US account from local ATMs. You will get hit with a 3 USD transaction charge each time, but it saves alot of hassle. The banks will generally hit you with a service charge for travelers' cheques, so you can't get around it unless you want to carry alot of cash, or open a Chinese bank account. Good luck.

From Amor: Go ahead and carry a hundred bucks on you daily but put the ...
Go ahead and carry a hundred bucks on you daily but put the rest of your money in The China Bank .... they will convert your US bucks into Chinese money, then more papers are signed and you deposit the whole thing into their bank and then you will have a Bank ATM on every corner in ever city you visit to withdraw more funds when you need it ! Best not to carry too much CASH at one time because it's very tempting for crooks to see a big wad of money & get dangerous thoughts....that happens in all countries including our own BTW, since you state that you'll be taking college courses while in China, I'm sure you must know that our U.S dollar is equivalent to 7.6510 Chinese Yuan on today's market. Obviously it is very inexpensive for us Westerners to shop, eat and purchase almost anything throughout China. Gotta enjoy it while the goings good..... absolutely nothing lasts forever ~