Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Romania Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Romania

Name: Romania
Address: RO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $1,033 in Romania.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,582 in Romania.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in China versus $2,131 in Romania.

Living in China costs about 31% less than in Romania on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Romania 22% lower.

China ($533–$1,212) and Romania ($806–$1,361) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.72

$11.67 RON 53.3

-76.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$45.89 RON 210

-47.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.93

$8.03 RON 36.67

-41.10%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.78

$2.88 RON 13.17

6.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥3.00

$2.03 RON 9.27

-78.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$1.80 RON 8.22

-83.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$2.83 RON 12.92

-64.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.03

$3.49 RON 15.96

-40.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.39

$1.61 RON 7.33

13.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$1.27 RON 5.79

27.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$1.80 RON 8.21

-46.11%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$3.39 RON 15.47

-52.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$8.66 RON 39.53

54.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.75

$6.73 RON 30.73

-49.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.2

$11.20 RON 51.1

-4.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.26

$1.22 RON 5.55

48.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.44

$1.69 RON 7.70

-26.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$1.58 RON 7.22

-7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$2.24 RON 10.25

-48.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.92

$0.98 RON 4.48

-25.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$0.98 RON 4.45

-9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$0.92 RON 4.18

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.59

$0.80 RON 3.66

-33.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.93

$6.23 RON 28.46

-45.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.3

$6.63 RON 30.28

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.23

$1.17 RON 5.33

-34.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.98

$1.80 RON 8.22

-9.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.85 RON 3.88

-51.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$23.29 RON 106

-8.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.13

$0.88 RON 4.03

53.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.70 RON 3.21

-48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.26

$7.77 RON 35.50

-13.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$1.61 RON 7.34

-26.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$28.3K RON 129.2K

-30.19%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$16.5K ¥111.7K

$27.5K RON 125.5K

-39.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$51.7 ¥349

$162 RON 741

-68.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.09 ¥68.2

$8.31 RON 37.94

21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.9

$9.53 RON 43.52

19.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$43.91 RON 201

-10.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$21.01 RON 96.0

-29.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.56

$7.93 RON 36.23

-20.55%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$414 ¥2,795

$494 RON 2,254

-16.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.6K

$10.1K RON 45.9K

73.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$69.0 RON 315

-32.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$41.48 RON 189

-20.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$82.7 RON 378

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$94.5 RON 432

-21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,972

$486 RON 2,221

-9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,707

$355 RON 1,623

-28.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,153

$852 RON 3,890

6.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,584

$604 RON 2,760

-12.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$2,546 RON 11.6K

87.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$1,848 RON 8,440

30.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,144

$1,032 RON 4,714

2.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.84

-40.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Last update for Romania: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $392 in Romania. Capital cities: $909 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $661 in Bucharest.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $881 in Romania. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 37% higher in Romania.

Dining out costs 110% more in Romania.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in Romania.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

China vs Romania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,084 in Romania, there's a 24% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Romania is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Romania it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Romania may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.