Bucharest vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1036
$1136
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2606
$3654
🏠 One person rent
$496
$602
🏘️ Family rent
$863
$1527
🍽️ Food expenses
$354
$293
🚐 Transport expenses
$72.4
$116
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1242
$1905
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
76
100
😀 Quality of life
78
79
🏙️ Population
1.72M
24.9M

The cost of living in Bucharest is 9% less expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 5404th and 4780th ($1036 vs $1136) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 6th in Romania and China, respectively. Check Romania vs China comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.2 months in Bucharest compared to 1.7 months in Shanghai. Bucharest ranked 1st best city to live in Romania vs Shanghai ranked 4th in China, while ranked 642nd and 571st among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Bucharest vs Shanghai infographic

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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
$10.6
$3.99
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$47
$42.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.53
$5.51
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.06
$1.43
☕ Cappuccino
$3.18
$3.61
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.11
$0.53
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$545
$897
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$348
$461
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$948
$2549
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$640
$1181
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$99
$36.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$152
$56.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$9.34
$16.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
7.21%
4.28%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2831
$16156
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1759
$8893
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.67
$0.57
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$18.6
$36.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.92
$6.13
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.64
$1.19
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.77
$2.41
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.03
$1.99
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$1.41
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.32
$2.11
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.2
$15.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.76
$3.46
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.6
$11.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$2.33
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.74
$1.64
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.71
$2.05
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2
$1.7
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.08
$0.98
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.05
$1.07
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.6
$0.37
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.11
$1.32
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.93
$11.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.18
$0.86
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.06
$3.51
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.85
$6.62
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.36
$7.04
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.78
$1.72
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.29
$2.03
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$44.3
$55
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.19
$8.47
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$55
$90.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.1
$11.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$78.8
$58.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$87.9
$78.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$532
$1263
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$10286
$31401

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
$900
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$852
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$786
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$668
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$757
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$663
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$795
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$727
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$759
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$772
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$631
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$644
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$955
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$793
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$688
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$684
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$751
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$755
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$751
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$721
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$744
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$589
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$831
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$624
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$931
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$961
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$1035
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$561
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$837
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$693
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$832
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$761
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$846
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$759
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$584
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$573
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$876
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$735
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$640
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$721

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1028
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$706
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$749
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$738
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$1020
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$585
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$661
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$718
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$620
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$676
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$686
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$706
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$685
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$612
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$733
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$674
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$742
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$702
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$729
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$674
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$843
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$665
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$676
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$690
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$629
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$698
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$630
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$673
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$698
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$538
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$650
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$651
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$703
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$708
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$699
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$617
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$702
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$771
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$648
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$774