The cost answer up front
Tier 3 functional vs Tier 4 bilingual — by the numbers
Why FFC, Jing'an and Pudong each price differently
What expat families typically over-pay for
How to scope the actual English level you need
Common questions
In plain English:Most Shanghai ayi speak kitchen-level English (Tier 2) at best — they're comfortable in expat households but not English-speaking. Tier 3 functional English costs `¥ 11–14k/mo`. Tier 4 bilingual / native-level costs `¥ 14.5–19k/mo`. Most expat families need Tier 3, not Tier 4 — and over-pay for accent and Western surnames that change nothing.