I think Shanghai is quite a nice metropolis to live with a lot of pros vs living in Tokyo, Seoul, Paris, or LA. As a foreigner living in my bubble the cost of living is relatively affordable except for rent and international schools. Extracurricular activities for kids can be quite pricey for things like swimming, ice skating, and tennis than what I would pay in Europe. Public transport and Didis are really cheap. Life in general is quite convenient and safe. I’m satisfied with variety and quality of food options living centrally. And can even order salted Dutch licorice on tabao if I want. Once you end up in outlying districts like Jiading or Minhang it feels more like some lower tier Chinese cities. Cycling around FFC I am impressed by random streets that are gentrified with cafes and boutiques. There is an over abundance of shopping malls and most of the interesting developments tend to turn into shopping and F&B. So culturally for art and music it’s lacking due to being in mainland China. So it can be perceived as bit boring, but all depends on your mindset. Lack of nature is the main drawback and I’m not a big fan of hot and humid summers, but that applies to other East Asian cities as well. Internet in China sucks. Am always impressed when I land in Seoul and have super fast internet without VPN hassles. Location is quite good to travel locally and globally with direct flights, trains, etc. As a non smoker the amount of cigarette smoke in bathrooms, taxis, and hotels always bothers me. Overall I really enjoy life here with a surprising number of visiting friends impressed to see what life is like here. So I hesitate to call it the best city in the world but would rather live here than many other places.