Shanghai is transforming into a world metropolis, which pushes up the cost of living there. Migrant workers come to the city because they can earn more than they would in the countryside. But without a local registration, their access to many services is limited. A recent study by Shanghai University found that 49% of those interviewed earned less than 3,000 yuan a month, about $15 a day in equivalent. That is the wage for well-off life in some rural areas of China, but in an expensive city like Shanghai this amount of money cannot go far.
上海正在转型成为一个世界级的城市，这也推高了上海的生活成本。农民工来到城市工作，是因为他们赚得比在乡下多。但是由于没有当地户口（local registration），他们无法享受很多服务。上海大学近期的一项研究发现，49%的受访者月收入低于3000元，大约合15美金一天。在中国部分农村地区，这是一个小康（well-off life）水平的工资，但在像上海这样的高消费城市，这些钱并不能维持多久。
