Bucharest vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1138
$1126
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2971
$3097
🏠 One person rent
$535
$600
🏘️ Family rent
$931
$1068
🍽️ Food expenses
$389
$293
🚐 Transport expenses
$84.2
$108
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1467
$879
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
78
99
😀 Quality of life
84
75
🏙️ Population
1.72M
24.9M

The cost of living in Bucharest is 1% more expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 4935th and 4971st ($1138 vs $1126) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 5th in Romania and China, respectively. Check Romania vs China comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.3 months in Bucharest compared to 0.8 months in Shanghai. Bucharest ranked 1st best city to live in Romania vs Shanghai ranked 4th in China, while ranked 508th and 1655th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Bucharest vs Shanghai

Prices for goods and services in Bucharest and Shanghai are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Bucharest Shanghai
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$11.9
$5.01
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$57.2
$36.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.13
$5.51
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.53
$1.69
☕ Cappuccino
$3.56
$3.77
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.41
$0.54
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$586
$803
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$385
$486
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1055
$1462
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$699
$880
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$99.4
$37.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$151
$58.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$10.4
$13
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
7.13%
3.34%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4123
$14215
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2286
$7113
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.96
$0.47
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.9
$30.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.84
$6.45
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.76
$1.15
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.66
$1.94
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.08
$1.8
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$1.3
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.75
$1.79
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$16.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.76
$3.91
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.7
$11.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.38
$2.35
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$1.74
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$1.78
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.49
$1.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.87
$0.89
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.91
$1.04
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.62
$0.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.33
$1.27
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$7.76
$12.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.22
$0.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.73
$3.46
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$7.02
$6.19
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.79
$6.91
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.77
$2.07
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.11
$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$48.8
$61.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.67
$7.84
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$69.3
$94.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.2
$12
👖 Brand Jeans
$86.8
$50.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$101
$78.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$769
$1114
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$16525
$27781

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Bucharest

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 8.3 mi Voluntari
$999
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$956
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$926
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$784
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$800
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$724
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$831
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$758
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$777
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$970
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$695
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$666
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$1150
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$759
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$826
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$704
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$732
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$805
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$910
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$871
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$983
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$665
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$950
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$607
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$1099
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$1062
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$1132
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$644
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$840
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$716
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$916
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$844
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$864
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$841
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$738
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$872
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$763
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$773
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$683
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$795

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1002
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$669
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$696
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$701
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$782
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$594
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$620
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$644
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$557
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$667
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$683
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$643
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$650
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$584
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$671
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$636
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$680
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$684
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$623
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$646
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$860
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$636
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$647
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$652
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$611
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$652
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$604
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$675
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$678
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$525
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$618
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$626
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$644
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$667
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$677
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$601
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$661
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$665
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$632
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$765