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: $1,087 in Sibiu versus $1,209 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Sibiu versus $1,979 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,219 in Sibiu versus $2,749 in Shanghai.

Living in Sibiu costs roughly 10% less than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibiu 19% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.02 RON 40.76

$4.90 ¥33.15

84.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.09 RON 208

$36.30 ¥245

26.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 RON 31.68

$5.59 ¥37.82

25.40%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RON 14.00

$3.55 ¥24.02

-12.68%

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

$2.08 RON 9.39

$0.57 ¥3.88

264.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 7.82

$0.36 ¥2.46

380.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 RON 12.39

$1.43 ¥9.66

91.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 RON 15.82

$2.85 ¥19.24

22.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 RON 6.77

$2.16 ¥14.59

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.48

$1.78 ¥12.02

-32.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.21

$1.10 ¥7.42

45.45%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.65

$1.69 ¥11.43

91.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 RON 35.12

$15.30 ¥103

-49.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 RON 28.11

$3.12 ¥21.11

99.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 RON 40.55

$10.76 ¥72.7

-16.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 RON 5.27

$2.26 ¥15.28

-48.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.88

$1.67 ¥11.31

-8.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.79

$1.80 ¥12.16

-4.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 RON 9.70

$1.53 ¥10.35

40.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 RON 3.70

$0.81 ¥5.46

1.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 RON 3.91

$1.11 ¥7.52

-22.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.64

$0.68 ¥4.61

51.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.20

$0.56 ¥3.76

66.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 RON 26.52

$2.84 ¥19.18

106.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 RON 38.35

$11.60 ¥78.5

-26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.62

$0.79 ¥5.32

29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.06

$1.64 ¥11.06

8.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.20

$0.43 ¥2.93

65.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 RON 89.2

$34.41 ¥233

-42.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 3.96

$2.21 ¥14.91

-60.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 3.92

$0.38 ¥2.55

128.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 RON 41.04

$8.38 ¥56.6

8.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.49

$1.14 ¥7.71

45.61%

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

$27.7K RON 125.2K

$19.5K ¥132.1K

41.71%

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

$26.3K RON 118.8K

$18.1K ¥122.7K

44.80%

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

$142 RON 644

$52.8 ¥357

169.78%

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

$8.78 RON 39.70

$8.53 ¥57.7

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.43 RON 51.7

$13.84 ¥93.6

-17.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 RON 186

$47.02 ¥318

-12.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 RON 70.1

$19.81 ¥134

-21.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 RON 30.34

$8.46 ¥57.2

-20.69%

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

$423 RON 1,912

$1,303 ¥8,808

-67.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,959 RON 31.5K

$31.6K ¥213.5K

-77.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 RON 306

$59.6 ¥403

13.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.54 RON 174

$38.09 ¥258

1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 RON 371

$78.8 ¥533

4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 RON 427

$99.3 ¥671

-4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 RON 1,672

$933 ¥6,306

-60.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 RON 1,473

$570 ¥3,854

-42.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 RON 3,180

$2,490 ¥16.8K

-71.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 RON 2,587

$1,192 ¥8,062

-51.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,513 RON 11.4K

$14.0K ¥94.6K

-82.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,088 RON 9,439

$6,729 ¥45.5K

-68.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,157 RON 5,231

$1,689 ¥11.4K

-31.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.58

81.56%

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

Last update for Sibiu: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Sibiu and $933 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 46% 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: $46.00 in Sibiu vs $36.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $225, 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,087 vs $1,209 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shanghai earns 46% less. 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: $370 in Sibiu versus $933 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $423 in Sibiu versus $1,303 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Sibiu versus $1,209 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 11% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.