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: $1,202 in Shanghai versus $993 in Tulcea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,961 in Shanghai versus $1,497 in Tulcea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Shanghai versus $2,001 in Tulcea.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 21% more expensive than in Tulcea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Tulcea 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 ¥32.30

$9.55 RON 43.63

-50.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.51 ¥240

$43.27 RON 198

-17.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ¥37.04

$8.03 RON 36.69

-31.88%

Cappuccino

$3.47 ¥23.48

$2.69 RON 12.28

29.00%

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

$0.58 ¥3.92

$1.98 RON 9.04

-70.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ¥2.48

$1.92 RON 8.77

-80.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ¥9.29

$2.37 RON 10.82

-42.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ¥19.14

$3.37 RON 15.38

-16.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ¥14.85

$1.34 RON 6.12

63.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.02

$1.09 RON 5.00

63.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.10

$1.76 RON 8.03

-40.34%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.98

$2.32 RON 10.61

-30.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.45 ¥105

$8.88 RON 40.58

73.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 ¥20.85

$6.95 RON 31.73

-55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ¥73.2

$8.98 RON 41.01

20.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.89

$1.16 RON 5.28

102.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.72

$1.47 RON 6.72

17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.68

$1.33 RON 6.06

30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.94

$1.95 RON 8.92

-24.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.36

$0.79 RON 3.62

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.49

$0.95 RON 4.32

16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.53

$0.74 RON 3.40

-9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.86 RON 3.94

-34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.08

$5.84 RON 26.68

-51.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 ¥80.8

$6.97 RON 31.83

71.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.31

$0.91 RON 4.14

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.90

$1.36 RON 6.23

18.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ¥2.70

$0.66 RON 3.02

-39.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.99 ¥237

$26.81 RON 122

30.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ¥14.81

$0.70 RON 3.22

212.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.62 RON 2.82

-38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 ¥57.2

$5.88 RON 26.87

43.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.39

$1.60 RON 7.29

-31.87%

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

$19.7K ¥133.4K

$25.0K RON 114.1K

-21.08%

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

$17.8K ¥120.6K

$27.1K RON 123.7K

-34.23%

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

$51.9 ¥351

$93.0 RON 425

-44.22%

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

$8.73 ¥59.1

$7.79 RON 35.58

12.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.48 ¥91.2

$9.70 RON 44.31

38.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.45 ¥308

$26.03 RON 119

74.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.37 ¥138

$19.25 RON 87.9

5.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 ¥54.9

$6.80 RON 31.07

19.41%

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

$1,289 ¥8,723

$418 RON 1,911

208.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K ¥211.8K

$6,984 RON 31.9K

348.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ¥405

$83.0 RON 379

-27.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 ¥255

$43.11 RON 197

-12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ¥526

$75.4 RON 345

3.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ¥662

$96.6 RON 441

1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 ¥6,521

$389 RON 1,779

147.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 ¥3,831

$296 RON 1,353

91.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 ¥16.9K

$594 RON 2,715

319.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ¥7,989

$435 RON 1,985

171.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.2K ¥95.8K

$1,341 RON 6,127

955.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,684 ¥45.2K

$1,174 RON 5,363

469.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,676 ¥11.3K

$658 RON 3,005

154.90%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $964 in Shanghai and $389 in Tulcea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 155% 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 $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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,202 vs $993 including rent). Tulcea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 155% 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: $964 in Shanghai versus $389 in Tulcea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,289 in Shanghai versus $418 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 $993 in Tulcea versus $1,202 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 21% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.