Long PVG layover in T2 and trying to save cash?
In Terminal T2, McDonald’s sits in the low “$” bracket while most other full-service spots charge closer to downtown Shanghai restaurant prices or higher. Travellers on Reddit call it one of the few places where a burger-and-fries meal still undercuts the airport’s pricier noodles and sit-down cafés, even if it costs more than the same combo in the city.
This McDonald’s is airside in T2, so you reach it after security and immigration on international departures. It keeps long daytime hours to match outbound flights, typically opening early morning and running until late evening bank times; think 06:00-ish through the last waves of flights. Expect familiar items: Big Mac, McChicken, fries, soft drinks, plus some China-only specials rotating through the menu boards.
Price-wise, plan on paying roughly 20–40 RMB for single items and 40–60 RMB for a full meal, compared with 60–100 RMB per person at many table-service spots in T2. Multiple reports mention sticker shock versus downtown Shanghai, but the same reports still rank it as the cheaper option in the terminal when you’re counting every yuan on a 6–10 hour layover.
Watch out for peak crowds around the big international departure banks between 09:00–11:00 and 18:00–21:00, when seating gets tight and the noise level jumps. Complaints often mention having to hover for 5–10 minutes to grab a table, and eating next to rolling suitcases and families camped for long connections. Food quality is standard McDonald’s: fries come out hot most of the time, but don’t expect gourmet.
One practical tip: if you plan to camp here with Wi‑Fi during a long layover, order a full meal plus a drink refill window, then grab a wall seat near a power outlet before you join the counter line; those few plug-adjacent spots go first during the evening rush.