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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,178 in Sibiu versus $1,247 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Sibiu versus $2,010 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,285 in Sibiu versus $2,773 in Shanghai.

Living in Sibiu costs roughly 6% less than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibiu 14% lower, Shanghai 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 RON 39.48

$4.36 ¥29.29

100.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.54 RON 197

$29.84 ¥200

45.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 35.89

$5.07 ¥34.03

56.80%

Cappuccino

$3.27 RON 14.75

$3.38 ¥22.71

-3.25%

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

$2.16 RON 9.75

$0.59 ¥3.96

266.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 RON 8.54

$0.36 ¥2.44

425.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 RON 15.28

$1.16 ¥7.76

191.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 RON 17.94

$2.38 ¥15.95

66.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RON 6.56

$2.07 ¥13.89

-29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 RON 5.38

$1.97 ¥13.22

-39.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.55

$0.97 ¥6.49

49.48%

Eggs

$3.68 RON 16.62

$1.68 ¥11.25

119.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 RON 38.49

$16.91 ¥113

-49.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 RON 28.71

$3.39 ¥22.72

87.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.22 RON 37.13

$13.15 ¥88.2

-37.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.52

$2.32 ¥15.59

-47.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.06

$1.75 ¥11.72

-10.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.87

$2.00 ¥13.42

-24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 RON 12.33

$1.75 ¥11.76

56.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 RON 3.18

$0.82 ¥5.48

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 RON 3.06

$1.00 ¥6.73

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 RON 4.68

$0.65 ¥4.35

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.17

$0.65 ¥4.35

41.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 RON 28.13

$4.41 ¥29.59

41.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 RON 35.47

$11.17 ¥75.0

-29.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.28

$0.94 ¥6.33

1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 RON 6.64

$1.56 ¥10.48

-5.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.59

$0.58 ¥3.89

36.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 RON 81.6

$29.43 ¥197

-38.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 RON 4.52

$2.24 ¥15.02

-55.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 RON 4.07

$0.43 ¥2.88

109.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.64 RON 39.01

$8.77 ¥58.8

-1.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RON 8.35

$1.25 ¥8.41

48.00%

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

$30.1K RON 135.9K

$19.7K ¥132.1K

52.83%

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

$26.6K RON 120.0K

$18.2K ¥122.3K

45.74%

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

$119 RON 540

$61.6 ¥413

93.93%

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

$9.48 RON 42.80

$8.45 ¥56.7

12.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.69 RON 57.3

$10.41 ¥69.9

21.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 RON 165

$69.7 ¥467

-47.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.68 RON 66.3

$16.38 ¥110

-10.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 RON 32.15

$8.84 ¥59.3

-19.46%

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

$455 RON 2,055

$1,383 ¥9,278

-67.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,957 RON 31.4K

$27.0K ¥181.1K

-74.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 RON 360

$51.9 ¥348

53.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.09 RON 154

$37.86 ¥254

-9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 RON 417

$74.9 ¥503

23.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 RON 418

$105 ¥707

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 RON 2,071

$985 ¥6,608

-53.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 RON 1,947

$572 ¥3,838

-24.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 RON 3,880

$2,470 ¥16.6K

-65.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 RON 2,848

$1,197 ¥8,034

-47.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,524 RON 11.4K

$13.7K ¥91.6K

-81.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,150 RON 9,709

$6,149 ¥41.3K

-65.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,161 RON 5,245

$1,734 ¥11.6K

-33.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.02

3.35

109.55%

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

Last update for Sibiu: August 31, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Sibiu and $985 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 49% 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: $44.00 in Sibiu vs $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $242, 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

Sibiu vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibiu and Shanghai differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,178 vs $1,247 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Shanghai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $458 in Sibiu versus $985 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $455 in Sibiu versus $1,383 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,178 in Sibiu versus $1,247 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, Sibiu and Shanghai 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 6% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.