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: $1,192 in Shanghai versus $1,074 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Shanghai versus $1,655 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,724 in Shanghai versus $2,236 in Sibiu.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 11% lower, Sibiu 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ¥31.97

$9.30 RON 42.64

-49.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.92 ¥243

$45.72 RON 210

-21.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥38.81

$6.98 RON 32.00

-17.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.80

$3.11 RON 14.27

13.18%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$2.07 RON 9.49

-72.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$1.71 RON 7.86

-80.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.20

$2.82 RON 12.94

-51.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥19.20

$3.42 RON 15.67

-16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ¥14.20

$1.51 RON 6.95

39.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.15

$1.26 RON 5.76

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.13

$1.54 RON 7.08

-31.82%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.35

$3.22 RON 14.79

-47.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 ¥107

$7.88 RON 36.13

100.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.43

$6.34 RON 29.09

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥74.6

$9.11 RON 41.76

20.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ¥16.08

$1.16 RON 5.31

105.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.47

$1.57 RON 7.19

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.07

$1.65 RON 7.56

7.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.83

$2.21 RON 10.15

-34.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.64

$0.77 RON 3.53

7.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.64

$0.87 RON 4.01

29.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.57

$1.05 RON 4.82

-35.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.06

$0.86 RON 3.96

-30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.06

$5.90 RON 27.07

-52.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 ¥79.5

$8.32 RON 38.18

41.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.28

$0.99 RON 4.54

-21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.64

$1.80 RON 8.25

-12.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.72 RON 3.28

-43.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 ¥237

$19.78 RON 90.7

77.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ¥15.28

$0.90 RON 4.15

151.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.52

$0.83 RON 3.78

-55.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 ¥55.4

$9.11 RON 41.80

-10.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.80

$1.65 RON 7.59

-30.30%

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

$19.3K ¥130.5K

$28.4K RON 130.4K

-32.16%

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

$17.7K ¥120.0K

$26.4K RON 121.1K

-32.89%

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

$53.0 ¥359

$140 RON 642

-62.12%

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

$8.77 ¥59.4

$8.87 RON 40.68

-1.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.78 ¥93.3

$11.42 RON 52.4

20.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.42 ¥307

$40.55 RON 186

12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥135

$15.36 RON 70.5

30.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 ¥56.2

$7.11 RON 32.60

16.74%

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

$1,264 ¥8,555

$437 RON 2,005

189.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K ¥214.3K

$6,874 RON 31.5K

360.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ¥390

$67.9 RON 312

-15.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 ¥257

$38.54 RON 177

-1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥521

$85.1 RON 390

-9.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 ¥655

$94.4 RON 433

2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 ¥6,466

$376 RON 1,725

154.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,755

$323 RON 1,481

71.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 ¥16.9K

$690 RON 3,166

261.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ¥8,166

$558 RON 2,561

116.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K ¥96.7K

$2,531 RON 11.6K

464.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,625 ¥44.8K

$2,061 RON 9,451

221.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 ¥11.5K

$1,147 RON 5,261

48.34%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Shanghai and $376 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 48% 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 $228 vs $206, 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 ($1,192 vs $1,074 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Shanghai, 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: $955 in Shanghai versus $376 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,264 in Shanghai versus $437 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,074 in Sibiu versus $1,192 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.