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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,044 in Romania versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,604 in Romania versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,164 in Romania versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Romania is roughly 45% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Romania 24% lower, China 48% lower.

Romania ($767–$1,488) and China ($468–$1,236) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.90 RON 49.37

$2.93 ¥19.60

272.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.67 RON 198

$22.72 ¥152

92.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 RON 35.43

$5.07 ¥33.95

54.24%

Cappuccino

$2.94 RON 13.31

$2.94 ¥19.70

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

$2.00 RON 9.04

$0.48 ¥3.21

316.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 RON 8.12

$0.30 ¥2.02

496.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 RON 11.35

$1.06 ¥7.10

136.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 RON 15.29

$2.25 ¥15.07

50.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 RON 7.15

$1.79 ¥11.99

-11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 5.87

$1.70 ¥11.35

-23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.27

$0.96 ¥6.45

67.71%

Eggs

$3.50 RON 15.83

$1.61 ¥10.79

117.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 RON 38.99

$13.60 ¥91.1

-36.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 RON 30.40

$3.41 ¥22.84

96.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.92 RON 49.43

$11.07 ¥74.2

-1.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.48

$1.81 ¥12.09

-33.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.46

$1.30 ¥8.74

26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.31

$1.48 ¥9.91

8.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 RON 10.11

$1.30 ¥8.72

71.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RON 3.97

$0.72 ¥4.82

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 RON 3.92

$0.94 ¥6.31

-7.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 RON 4.26

$0.61 ¥4.08

54.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.13

$0.56 ¥3.73

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 RON 28.83

$3.67 ¥24.58

73.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 RON 29.70

$11.90 ¥79.7

-44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 RON 5.19

$0.83 ¥5.56

38.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 RON 7.78

$1.65 ¥11.08

4.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 RON 3.56

$0.29 ¥1.92

168.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.22 RON 110

$22.61 ¥151

7.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 RON 3.69

$1.45 ¥9.72

-44.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 RON 3.61

$0.34 ¥2.31

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 RON 33.67

$7.27 ¥48.72

2.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.15

$1.23 ¥8.26

46.34%

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

$29.4K RON 133.0K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

50.30%

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

$26.3K RON 119.0K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

52.33%

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

$168 RON 762

$55.5 ¥371

203.41%

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

$8.35 RON 37.83

$8.51 ¥57.0

-1.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 RON 42.13

$10.81 ¥72.4

-13.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.25 RON 196

$40.02 ¥268

8.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 RON 88.5

$14.80 ¥99.1

32.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 RON 35.72

$6.73 ¥45.09

17.24%

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

$509 RON 2,307

$454 ¥3,042

12.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,958 RON 40.6K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-54.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 RON 328

$44.95 ¥301

61.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 RON 181

$35.81 ¥240

11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 RON 380

$76.8 ¥514

9.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 RON 405

$77.3 ¥518

15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 RON 2,273

$385 ¥2,581

30.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 RON 1,675

$242 ¥1,623

52.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 RON 3,763

$837 ¥5,603

-0.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 RON 2,736

$474 ¥3,177

27.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,634 RON 11.9K

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-42.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,906 RON 8,632

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-17.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,010 RON 4,573

$1,062 ¥7,110

-4.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

101.73%

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

Last update for Romania: September 7, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $390 in Romania, $295 in China. Capital cities: $702 in Bucharest vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $900 in Romania, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 32% higher in Romania.

Dining out costs 110% more in Romania.

Public transport is 29% 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

Romania vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,128 in Romania, there's a 32% 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.