Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Baia Mare: $935 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Baia Mare, Romania
Lisbon, Portugal
Baia Mare
🇷🇴 Romania
$935
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baia Mare and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Baia Mare and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Baia Mare versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Baia Mare $935
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,452 in Baia Mare versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Baia Mare $1,452
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,969 in Baia Mare versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Baia Mare $1,969
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Baia Mare costs roughly 58% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baia Mare is 31% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.61 RON 60.1
$16.65 €14.87
-24.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.99 RON 157
$61.7 €55.2
-46.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.16 RON 38.92
$11.36 €10.14
-28.17%
Cappuccino
$2.07 RON 9.86
$2.97 €2.65
-30.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 RON 8.64
$2.29 €2.04
-20.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.39 RON 6.63
$1.74 €1.56
-20.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.61 RON 7.67
$3.40 €3.04
-52.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 RON 10.23
$3.31 €2.96
-35.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 RON 6.91
$1.16 €1.03
25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 RON 6.70
$1.91 €1.71
-26.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 RON 7.33
$1.51 €1.35
1.99%
Eggs
$2.82 RON 13.45
$4.02 €3.59
-29.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.92 RON 28.24
$12.94 €11.56
-54.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.82 RON 32.50
$7.77 €6.94
-12.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.77 RON 51.3
$17.76 €15.86
-39.36%
Apples (1kg)
$1.08 RON 5.16
$2.30 €2.06
-53.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 RON 6.99
$1.73 €1.55
-15.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 RON 6.52
$1.86 €1.66
-26.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.61 RON 12.45
$2.59 €2.31
0.77%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 RON 4.39
$1.82 €1.63
-49.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.08 RON 5.16
$1.97 €1.76
-45.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 RON 5.30
$1.47 €1.31
-24.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 RON 3.85
$0.72 €0.65
12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.12 RON 29.15
$6.58 €5.88
-6.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.52 RON 21.53
$5.61 €5.01
-19.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 RON 4.98
$1.36 €1.22
-22.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 RON 7.72
$2.14 €1.91
-24.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.71 RON 3.37
$2.33 €2.08
-69.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.38 RON 68.6
$44.68 €39.91
-67.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 RON 3.66
$3.85 €3.44
-80.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.75 RON 3.55
$1.07 €0.96
-29.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.94 RON 28.34
$16.46 €14.70
-63.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.73 RON 8.27
$2.20 €1.97
-21.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K RON 136.0K
$34.2K €30.5K
-16.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K RON 119.9K
$38.7K €34.6K
-35.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$102 RON 488
$161 €144
-36.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.11 RON 72.0
$18.41 €16.44
-17.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.75 RON 56.0
$32.74 €29.24
-64.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.40 RON 178
$44.55 €39.79
-16.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.21 RON 77.3
$19.10 €17.06
-15.13%
Cinema Ticket
$10.01 RON 47.70
$9.60 €8.57
4.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$520 RON 2,480
$668 €596
-22.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,441 RON 25.9K
$17.6K €15.7K
-69.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.34 RON 178
$102 €91.1
-63.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.05 RON 200
$44.46 €39.72
-5.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$62.3 RON 297
$98.5 €88.0
-36.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.7 RON 356
$124 €110
-39.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$368 RON 1,753
$1,608 €1,437
-77.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$255 RON 1,215
$1,190 €1,063
-78.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$582 RON 2,774
$2,812 €2,512
-79.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$440 RON 2,096
$2,013 €1,798
-78.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,187 RON 10.4K
$7,839 €7,002
-72.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,477 RON 7,041
$4,576 €4,087
-67.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Baia Mare
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$853 RON 4,069
$1,575 €1,407
-45.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.48
3.85
94.29%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Baia Mare
$255
Lisbon
$1.2K 367% $935
Groceries & Markets
Baia Mare
$199
Lisbon
$272 36.5% $73
Eating Out
Baia Mare
$175
Lisbon
$243 38.4% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baia Mare
$129
Lisbon
$212 64.3% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Baia Mare
$97
Lisbon
$166 70.4% $69
Sport & Entertainment
Baia Mare
$57
Lisbon
$64 11% $6.3
Getting Around
Baia Mare
$22
Lisbon
$63 191% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Baia Mare and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 85% 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: $33 in Baia Mare vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $272 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Baia Mare
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:43 12:43 PM
10:43 10:43 AM
2 h behind Baia Mare
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
123,738
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Baia Mare Lisbon 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Baia Mare
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Baia Mare vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baia Mare cheaper than Lisbon?
Baia Mare is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Baia Mare or Lisbon?
On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Baia Mare. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Baia Mare and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $368 in Baia Mare versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $520 in Baia Mare versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Baia Mare and in Lisbon?
Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is it better to live in Baia Mare or in Lisbon?
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.
Which city is safer, Baia Mare or Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Baia Mare and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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