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: $1,212 in Shanghai versus $992 in Tulcea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,973 in Shanghai versus $1,526 in Tulcea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Shanghai versus $2,060 in Tulcea.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 22% more expensive than in Tulcea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 9% lower, Tulcea 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.00 ¥33.76

$9.93 RON 45.15

-49.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 ¥243

$42.69 RON 194

-15.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 ¥37.37

$7.92 RON 36.00

-30.05%

Cappuccino

$3.53 ¥23.83

$2.61 RON 11.86

35.25%

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

$0.57 ¥3.87

$1.96 RON 8.91

-70.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.26

$1.91 RON 8.69

-82.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 ¥9.46

$2.32 RON 10.55

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥18.64

$3.49 RON 15.85

-20.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ¥14.77

$1.36 RON 6.19

61.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥12.11

$1.09 RON 4.94

64.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.46

$1.70 RON 7.71

-35.29%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.25

$2.30 RON 10.45

-27.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 ¥103

$8.56 RON 38.90

78.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 ¥20.84

$7.08 RON 32.20

-56.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 ¥75.0

$9.13 RON 41.51

21.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.86

$1.23 RON 5.57

91.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.83

$1.45 RON 6.61

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.99

$1.34 RON 6.10

32.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.89

$1.97 RON 8.95

-25.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.42

$0.77 RON 3.48

3.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.47

$0.90 RON 4.08

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$0.75 RON 3.43

-14.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.02

$0.86 RON 3.91

-30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ¥19.21

$5.78 RON 26.28

-50.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥79.1

$6.94 RON 31.55

68.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.41

$0.92 RON 4.17

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.93

$1.38 RON 6.29

17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.72 RON 3.28

-43.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 ¥232

$27.83 RON 127

23.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ¥14.76

$0.67 RON 3.03

226.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.61 RON 2.75

-37.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ¥54.8

$5.80 RON 26.37

39.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.33

$1.60 RON 7.27

-31.87%

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

$19.8K ¥133.8K

$25.4K RON 115.3K

-21.86%

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

$17.8K ¥120.0K

$27.2K RON 123.4K

-34.55%

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

$52.5 ¥354

$92.4 RON 420

-43.24%

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

$8.46 ¥57.1

$8.07 RON 36.68

4.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.57 ¥91.6

$9.79 RON 44.50

38.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.06 ¥311

$26.05 RON 118

76.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 ¥135

$19.06 RON 86.7

4.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ¥55.7

$7.02 RON 31.93

17.52%

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

$1,280 ¥8,643

$432 RON 1,962

196.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K ¥210.2K

$6,931 RON 31.5K

349.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ¥400

$81.2 RON 369

-27.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.99 ¥256

$41.82 RON 190

-9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ¥521

$75.5 RON 343

2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ¥654

$96.1 RON 437

0.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 ¥6,386

$391 RON 1,777

142.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,744

$288 RON 1,309

92.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 ¥16.6K

$583 RON 2,652

321.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ¥8,104

$435 RON 1,976

176.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ¥95.3K

$1,326 RON 6,029

964.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,646 ¥44.9K

$1,128 RON 5,129

489.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 ¥11.8K

$632 RON 2,875

175.37%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $946 in Shanghai and $391 in Tulcea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 175% 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 $43.00 in Tulcea. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $198, 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,212 vs $992 including rent). Tulcea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 175% 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: $946 in Shanghai versus $391 in Tulcea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,280 in Shanghai versus $432 in Tulcea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $992 in Tulcea versus $1,212 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 22% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.