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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,220 per month in Shanghai vs $1,075 in Oradea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,946 per month in Shanghai vs $1,615 in Oradea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,672 per month in Shanghai vs $2,154 in Oradea, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 13% 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

$4.73 ¥32.39

$9.14 RON 39.87

-48.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.90 ¥253

$51.7 RON 225

-28.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ¥37.03

$8.20 RON 35.75

-34.02%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥23.41

$3.07 RON 13.37

11.40%

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

$0.55 ¥3.76

$1.93 RON 8.43

-71.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.32

$1.70 RON 7.40

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 ¥9.63

$2.27 RON 9.89

-37.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ¥19.67

$2.83 RON 12.32

1.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥14.23

$1.63 RON 7.10

27.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.30

$1.14 RON 4.96

57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.18

$1.41 RON 6.14

-25.53%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.14

$3.22 RON 14.02

-49.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 ¥105

$9.62 RON 41.93

59.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 ¥21.10

$7.20 RON 31.41

-57.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 ¥75.1

$10.50 RON 45.76

4.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥16.24

$1.11 RON 4.82

113.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ¥12.13

$1.64 RON 7.15

7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.88

$1.65 RON 7.18

4.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥10.05

$1.68 RON 7.35

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.37

$0.80 RON 3.50

-2.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.71

$0.92 RON 4.02

22.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.63

$0.99 RON 4.34

-31.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.10

$0.80 RON 3.51

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.28

$6.28 RON 27.39

-55.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 ¥81.2

$6.83 RON 29.78

73.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.45

$1.01 RON 4.41

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.98

$1.89 RON 8.24

-15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.67 RON 2.91

-34.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.13 ¥241

$18.78 RON 81.9

87.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ¥15.09

$0.78 RON 3.38

182.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.80

$0.81 RON 3.53

-49.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ¥56.5

$8.11 RON 35.34

1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.56

$1.56 RON 6.80

-29.49%

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

$19.8K ¥135.7K

$27.5K RON 119.7K

-27.86%

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

$18.1K ¥124.2K

$26.7K RON 116.3K

-32.05%

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

$51.3 ¥351

$159 RON 691

-67.66%

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

$8.47 ¥58.0

$7.78 RON 33.90

8.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.92 ¥95.4

$8.46 RON 36.90

64.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 ¥319

$49.85 RON 217

-6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 ¥138

$14.28 RON 62.2

41.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ¥56.6

$6.74 RON 29.37

22.55%

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

$1,309 ¥8,969

$426 RON 1,857

207.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K ¥219.3K

$7,781 RON 33.9K

311.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ¥399

$66.4 RON 289

-12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥261

$40.25 RON 175

-5.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 ¥540

$75.3 RON 328

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ¥660

$67.7 RON 295

42.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ¥6,595

$412 RON 1,795

133.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,859

$317 RON 1,383

77.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥17.1K

$603 RON 2,628

313.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ¥8,198

$431 RON 1,877

177.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥94.9K

$2,026 RON 8,834

583.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,279 ¥49.9K

$1,956 RON 8,527

272.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 ¥11.4K

$977 RON 4,258

71.09%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Oradea: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Shanghai versus $412 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 71% 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 $37.00 in Shanghai versus $52.0 in Oradea. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Shanghai vs $213 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: $1,220 in Shanghai, $1,075 in Oradea – roughly 13% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,830 per month in Shanghai and $1,613 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 6% 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 $37.00 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 $1,075, than in Shanghai at $1,220. 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.