In PVG T2, KFC is one of the few cheap hot meals
In Terminal 2 at Shanghai Pudong, KFC is the budget call when the nearby full-service Chinese restaurants start at 80–100 RMB per person and up. Here you’re looking at roughly 30–55 RMB for a basic combo with chicken, fries, and a drink, which feels closer to city prices than most airport spots. One traveler on Reddit called it “one of the few that felt vaguely normal price-wise” in T2.
This KFC sits airside in T2, so you need to clear security before you can eat. Signage in English is decent, and you’ll see the red logo long before you reach the counter. Expect standard China KFC items: fried chicken pieces, burgers, egg tarts, and some rice options, all ordered via counter or touchscreen. If someone in your group is nervous about spicy Sichuan dishes, this is the predictable choice, as one r/ChinaTravel poster admitted during a PVG layover with friends.
Go for the set meals around 35–50 RMB; they usually include 1–2 pieces of chicken plus sides and a drink and post clearly on the overhead menu boards. The chicken here gets mixed reviews compared with downtown Shanghai branches, with some passengers saying it tastes drier during peak rushes. Fries and egg tarts tend to be more consistent, and the coffee is passable if you just need caffeine before a late-night departure out of T2.
Watch out for the seating crunch during big departure waves around morning and evening banks, when multiple international flights out of T2 board within an hour. Tables near the counter fill quickly, and you may end up carrying your tray toward the adjacent gates. Lines also spike to 10–20 minutes at those times, so build in extra time before a flight leaving from a far T2 gate.
Tip: If your gate is in a remote T2 pier, order to go, then walk 5–10 minutes toward your gate and hunt for seats there instead of waiting for a table near the counter.