Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Sibiu Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Sibiu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Shanghai versus $1,087 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Shanghai versus $1,653 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Shanghai versus $2,219 in Sibiu.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 11% more expensive than Sibiu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Sibiu 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.15

$9.02 RON 40.76

-45.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥245

$46.09 RON 208

-21.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.82

$7.01 RON 31.68

-20.26%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.02

$3.10 RON 14.00

14.52%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$2.08 RON 9.39

-72.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$1.73 RON 7.82

-79.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.66

$2.74 RON 12.39

-47.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.24

$3.50 RON 15.82

-18.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.59

$1.50 RON 6.77

44.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.02

$1.21 RON 5.48

47.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$1.60 RON 7.21

-31.25%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.43

$3.24 RON 14.65

-47.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥103

$7.77 RON 35.12

96.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.11

$6.22 RON 28.11

-49.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.7

$8.97 RON 40.55

19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.28

$1.17 RON 5.27

93.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.31

$1.52 RON 6.88

9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.16

$1.72 RON 7.79

4.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.35

$2.15 RON 9.70

-28.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.46

$0.82 RON 3.70

-1.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.52

$0.86 RON 3.91

29.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.61

$1.03 RON 4.64

-33.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.93 RON 4.20

-39.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.18

$5.87 RON 26.52

-51.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.5

$8.48 RON 38.35

36.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$1.02 RON 4.62

-22.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.06

$1.78 RON 8.06

-7.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.71 RON 3.20

-39.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$19.74 RON 89.2

74.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.91

$0.88 RON 3.96

151.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.87 RON 3.92

-56.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.6

$9.08 RON 41.04

-7.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.66 RON 7.49

-31.33%

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

$19.5K ¥132.1K

$27.7K RON 125.2K

-29.43%

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

$18.1K ¥122.7K

$26.3K RON 118.8K

-30.94%

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

$52.8 ¥357

$142 RON 644

-62.93%

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

$8.53 ¥57.7

$8.78 RON 39.70

-2.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.6

$11.43 RON 51.7

21.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$41.14 RON 186

14.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$15.52 RON 70.1

27.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.2

$6.71 RON 30.34

26.08%

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

$1,303 ¥8,808

$423 RON 1,912

207.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.5K

$6,959 RON 31.5K

353.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥403

$67.6 RON 306

-11.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$38.54 RON 174

-1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥533

$82.0 RON 371

-3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥671

$94.5 RON 427

5.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,306

$370 RON 1,672

152.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,854

$326 RON 1,473

74.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.8K

$704 RON 3,180

253.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,062

$572 RON 2,587

108.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.6K

$2,513 RON 11.4K

456.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.5K

$2,088 RON 9,439

222.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

$1,157 RON 5,231

45.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

6.5

-44.92%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Shanghai and $370 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 46% 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: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $46.00 in Sibiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $205, with Sibiu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sibiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Sibiu differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $1,087 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shanghai pays 46% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $933 in Shanghai versus $370 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Shanghai versus $423 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Sibiu versus $1,209 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibiu but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Sibiu 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, Shanghai and Sibiu 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 Sibiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.