Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Craiova and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,182 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,182

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Craiova and in Shanghai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Craiova and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Craiova versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Craiova $1,182
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,739 in Craiova versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Craiova $1,739
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,297 in Craiova versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Craiova $2,297
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Craiova costs roughly 5% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Craiova 12% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 RON 35.24

$4.56 ¥30.47

63.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 RON 198

$30.21 ¥202

38.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 RON 33.62

$5.25 ¥35.13

35.43%

Cappuccino

$2.65 RON 12.54

$3.28 ¥21.94

-19.21%

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

$2.20 RON 10.39

$0.57 ¥3.84

285.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 RON 8.68

$0.36 ¥2.39

408.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 RON 10.60

$1.23 ¥8.23

82.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 RON 16.65

$2.27 ¥15.18

55.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 RON 6.05

$1.84 ¥12.30

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 RON 4.06

$1.96 ¥13.08

-56.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 RON 6.43

$1.03 ¥6.87

32.04%

Eggs

$3.27 RON 15.47

$1.67 ¥11.16

95.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 RON 33.63

$16.96 ¥113

-58.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 RON 30.73

$3.19 ¥21.33

103.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 RON 54.4

$12.90 ¥86.3

-10.85%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.44

$2.24 ¥15.00

-58.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.83

$1.66 ¥11.13

-13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.94

$2.02 ¥13.54

-27.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 RON 8.51

$1.66 ¥11.08

8.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.60

$0.77 ¥5.17

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$0.93 ¥6.21

-10.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RON 3.49

$0.63 ¥4.19

17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RON 3.38

$0.60 ¥3.99

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.32 RON 29.92

$3.80 ¥25.44

66.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 29.95

$10.87 ¥72.7

-41.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.48

$0.82 ¥5.51

41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 RON 7.15

$1.61 ¥10.76

-6.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.61 ¥4.11

32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.73 RON 117

$29.40 ¥197

-15.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 RON 3.06

$2.11 ¥14.11

-69.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 RON 3.12

$0.43 ¥2.87

53.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.18

$9.06 ¥60.6

-31.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 RON 8.66

$1.33 ¥8.89

37.59%

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

$28.5K RON 135.1K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

50.05%

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

$26.4K RON 125.0K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

41.26%

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

$211 RON 996

$57.8 ¥387

264.21%

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

$9.13 RON 43.18

$8.09 ¥54.1

12.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 RON 54.8

$10.48 ¥70.0

10.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.63 RON 211

$65.7 ¥439

-32.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.02 RON 104

$17.82 ¥119

23.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 RON 35.24

$8.95 ¥59.9

-16.76%

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

$423 RON 2,002

$1,414 ¥9,451

-70.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,143 RON 38.5K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-70.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 RON 293

$54.0 ¥361

14.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 RON 242

$37.09 ¥248

38.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 398

$74.3 ¥496

13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 RON 487

$106 ¥706

-2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 RON 2,404

$1,055 ¥7,056

-51.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 RON 1,814

$585 ¥3,910

-34.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 RON 4,225

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-64.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 RON 2,822

$1,232 ¥8,240

-51.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,614 RON 12.4K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-81.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,960 RON 9,272

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-68.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 RON 4,404

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-45.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

3.36

103.57%

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

Last update for Craiova: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Craiova

$383 32.5%

Shanghai

$585 47% 52.5% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Craiova

$231 19.6%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 67% $155

Groceries & Markets

Craiova

$193 16.4%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 21.4% $41

Eating Out

Craiova

$147 12.5%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 27.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Craiova

$135 11.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 9.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Craiova

$60 5%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 40.5% $24

Getting Around

Craiova

$32 2.7%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 13.1% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Craiova and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 84% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Craiova vs $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $235, with Craiova cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Craiova

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

23:53 11:53 PM

5 h ahead of Craiova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,506

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Craiova Shanghai 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Craiova
Shanghai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Craiova vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Shanghai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $508 in Craiova versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,182 per month in Craiova versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 19% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,182 in Craiova versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Craiova and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.