The only difference greater than Beijing and Shanghai themselves is the people who live in them. From the locals who grew up there to the expats who have chosen to call those places home， the people typify1 the unique vibes2 of each city.

说到京沪两地的差别，相较于城市本身，唯一更为显著的差别在于其居民。无论是生于斯长于斯的当地人，还是自愿视之为第二故乡的外来户，正是人赋予了这两座城市独到的韵味。

Hipster3 vs. yuppie4

潮人与雅痞

To say that Beijing is a city of art and culture and Shanghai is a city of finance and fashion is doing both cities a disservic5. Sure， overall， Beijing is artsier6 and Shanghai is wealthier， but Beijing also has its share of finance bros， just as Shanghai has its share of underground musicians. Still， the stereotypes of each city draw certain crowds， leaving Beijing a bit more hipster and Shanghai a bit more yuppie.

有人说京城是艺术文化之都、魔都为金融时尚之都，这两种说法都有失偏颇。诚然，总体而言，北京更具艺术气息，上海商圈本色彰显，然北京不乏金融人士，上海亦有地下音乐人。只是，两个城市各自固有的魅力吸引了特定的人群，使北京更趋潮流前卫，而上海则更显优雅品位。

Ni chi le ma vs. ni hao

“你吃了吗”与“你好”

Beijing expats have a reputation of speaking better Chinese than Shanghai expats. This is partly due to the fact that Beijing attracts those who have already learned the language and to the fact that it’s harder to get by7 in Beijing without knowing the local tongue. So many people in Shanghai know English that it’s hard for Shanghai expats to motivate themselves to break past the phrasebook8 basics.

论及两地外侨的汉语口语水平，都知道北京更胜一筹。部分原因是北京吸引原本就会说汉语的外国友人，还因为北京生活不通汉语颇为不便。相较之下，上海英语普及程度较高，外侨学习汉语动力不足，故而汉语水平止步于浅显对话。

Integrated vs. multicultural

融入当地与多元文化

Beijing expats are better integrated into the local life than Shanghai expats， who tend to stay in their bubble. Go to any Beijing hotpot restaurant on a Saturday night and you’re bound to see groups of friends that are mostly Chinese with just a few expats mixed in. Shanghai， on the other hand， has such a wide variety of expats that friend groups there tend to be a hodgepodge9 of many cultures and nations， not just Western/Chinese.

北京外侨更好地融入当地人生活，上海外侨则倾向于待在自己的圈子里。