Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Oradea Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Oradea

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,212 per month in Shanghai vs $1,059 in Oradea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,973 per month in Shanghai vs $1,588 in Oradea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,733 per month in Shanghai vs $2,118 in Oradea, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 14% more than Oradea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Shanghai and Oradea are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 9% lower, Oradea 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.00 ¥33.73

$9.14 RON 41.55

-45.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 ¥243

$52.0 RON 236

-30.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 ¥37.34

$8.10 RON 36.82

-31.60%

Cappuccino

$3.53 ¥23.81

$3.11 RON 14.16

13.50%

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

$0.57 ¥3.86

$1.83 RON 8.33

-68.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.26

$1.75 RON 7.95

-81.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 ¥9.45

$2.25 RON 10.22

-37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥18.63

$2.73 RON 12.41

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ¥14.76

$1.61 RON 7.33

36.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥12.10

$1.18 RON 5.35

51.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.45

$1.39 RON 6.31

-20.86%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.24

$3.24 RON 14.71

-48.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 ¥103

$9.50 RON 43.20

60.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 ¥20.82

$7.04 RON 31.99

-56.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 ¥74.9

$10.59 RON 48.13

4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.85

$1.15 RON 5.24

104.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.82

$1.65 RON 7.50

6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.98

$1.66 RON 7.54

7.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$1.62 RON 7.35

-9.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.41

$0.88 RON 4.00

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.46

$0.91 RON 4.12

21.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$1.01 RON 4.58

-36.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.02

$0.87 RON 3.93

-31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ¥19.19

$6.05 RON 27.51

-52.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥79.0

$6.07 RON 27.59

93.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.41

$1.06 RON 4.82

-24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.92

$1.79 RON 8.12

-9.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.66 RON 3.01

-37.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 ¥232

$18.50 RON 84.1

85.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ¥14.75

$0.85 RON 3.85

157.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.80 RON 3.65

-52.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ¥54.7

$8.07 RON 36.70

0.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.33

$1.62 RON 7.36

-32.72%

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

$19.8K ¥133.7K

$27.6K RON 125.4K

-28.16%

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

$17.8K ¥119.9K

$26.0K RON 118.1K

-31.58%

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

$52.5 ¥354

$155 RON 703

-66.06%

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

$8.46 ¥57.1

$7.53 RON 34.25

12.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.57 ¥91.5

$8.42 RON 38.29

61.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.06 ¥311

$49.78 RON 226

-7.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 ¥135

$14.62 RON 66.5

36.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ¥55.7

$6.85 RON 31.14

20.44%

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

$1,280 ¥8,636

$431 RON 1,961

196.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K ¥210.0K

$7,742 RON 35.2K

302.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ¥400

$66.5 RON 302

-10.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.99 ¥256

$41.04 RON 187

-7.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ¥521

$77.9 RON 354

-0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ¥654

$69.9 RON 318

38.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 ¥6,380

$419 RON 1,905

125.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,740

$318 RON 1,444

74.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 ¥16.6K

$594 RON 2,701

313.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ¥8,097

$446 RON 2,029

169.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ¥95.2K

$1,971 RON 8,960

616.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,646 ¥44.8K

$1,933 RON 8,788

243.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 ¥11.7K

$920 RON 4,183

89.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

6.88

-47.97%

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

Last update for Shanghai: July 26, 2026

Last update for Oradea: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $946 in Shanghai versus $419 in Oradea. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 89% higher in Shanghai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai versus $52.0 in Oradea. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Shanghai vs $212 in Oradea – so Oradea wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Shanghai vs Oradea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,212 in Shanghai, $1,059 in Oradea – roughly 14% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,818 per month in Shanghai and $1,589 in Oradea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oradea, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai and $52.0 in Oradea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Oradea, where all-in costs run around $1,059, than in Shanghai at $1,212. In Oradea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Oradea – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Oradea. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.