Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Tulcea Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Tulcea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,220 in Shanghai versus $977 in Tulcea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,946 in Shanghai versus $1,494 in Tulcea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Shanghai versus $2,012 in Tulcea.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 25% more expensive than Tulcea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 9% lower, Tulcea 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.73 ¥32.39

$10.08 RON 43.93

-53.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.90 ¥253

$42.96 RON 187

-14.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ¥37.03

$7.78 RON 33.91

-30.46%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥23.41

$2.70 RON 11.77

26.67%

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

$0.55 ¥3.76

$2.00 RON 8.73

-72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.32

$1.91 RON 8.31

-82.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 ¥9.63

$2.35 RON 10.23

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ¥19.67

$3.54 RON 15.44

-18.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥14.23

$1.42 RON 6.19

46.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.30

$1.06 RON 4.61

69.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.18

$1.72 RON 7.48

-38.95%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.14

$2.29 RON 9.97

-28.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 ¥105

$8.91 RON 38.85

72.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 ¥21.10

$7.01 RON 30.56

-56.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 ¥75.1

$8.92 RON 38.90

22.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥16.24

$1.22 RON 5.30

94.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ¥12.13

$1.41 RON 6.16

25.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.88

$1.30 RON 5.66

33.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥10.05

$1.88 RON 8.21

-21.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.37

$0.79 RON 3.46

-1.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.71

$0.95 RON 4.13

18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.63

$0.71 RON 3.11

-4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.10

$0.85 RON 3.71

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.28

$5.66 RON 24.66

-50.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 ¥81.2

$6.95 RON 30.29

70.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.45

$0.96 RON 4.21

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.98

$1.42 RON 6.20

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.68 RON 2.95

-35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.13 ¥241

$26.85 RON 117

30.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ¥15.09

$0.66 RON 2.89

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.80

$0.65 RON 2.83

-36.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ¥56.5

$5.63 RON 24.57

46.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.56

$1.60 RON 6.96

-31.25%

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

$19.8K ¥135.7K

$25.2K RON 110.1K

-21.52%

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

$18.1K ¥124.2K

$27.4K RON 119.5K

-33.86%

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

$51.3 ¥351

$90.7 RON 395

-43.46%

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

$8.47 ¥58.0

$7.99 RON 34.83

6.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.92 ¥95.4

$9.92 RON 43.26

40.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 ¥319

$26.05 RON 114

78.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 ¥138

$19.42 RON 84.7

3.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ¥56.6

$6.88 RON 30.00

20.06%

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

$1,309 ¥8,969

$421 RON 1,834

211.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K ¥219.3K

$6,867 RON 29.9K

366.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ¥399

$83.6 RON 364

-30.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥261

$43.44 RON 189

-12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 ¥540

$75.1 RON 327

5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ¥660

$97.3 RON 424

-0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ¥6,595

$381 RON 1,660

152.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,859

$295 RON 1,285

91.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥17.1K

$591 RON 2,578

321.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ¥8,198

$442 RON 1,928

170.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥94.9K

$1,357 RON 5,916

920.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,279 ¥49.9K

$1,216 RON 5,300

498.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 ¥11.4K

$670 RON 2,921

149.37%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Shanghai and $381 in Tulcea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 149% 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: $37.00 in Shanghai vs $43.00 in Tulcea. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $197, with Tulcea 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 Tulcea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Tulcea differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,220 vs $977 including rent). Tulcea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shanghai pays 149% 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: $963 in Shanghai versus $381 in Tulcea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,309 in Shanghai versus $421 in Tulcea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $977 in Tulcea versus $1,220 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tulcea but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcea 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 Tulcea 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 Tulcea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.