Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Baia Mare Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Baia Mare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $876 in Baia Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,406 in Baia Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,937 in Baia Mare.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 160% more expensive than in Baia Mare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Baia Mare is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.38 RON 42.66

67.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$37.06 RON 168

71.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.10 RON 32.26

47.18%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.11 RON 9.59

37.91%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.82 RON 8.26

25.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.29 RON 5.85

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.60 RON 7.25

122.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.20 RON 10.02

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.49 RON 6.79

-27.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.22 RON 5.54

44.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.52 RON 6.91

11.84%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.34 RON 15.17

-2.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.49 RON 34.04

76.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$5.93 RON 26.96

29.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$8.71 RON 39.61

81.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.21 RON 5.48

88.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.60 RON 7.25

3.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.68 RON 7.63

20.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.12 RON 9.62

16.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.77 RON 3.49

132.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.94 RON 4.29

120.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.01 RON 4.59

95.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.79 RON 3.60

5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.20 RON 23.66

25.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$5.05 RON 22.96

10.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.00 RON 4.53

33.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.86 RON 8.47

61.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.71 RON 3.22

219.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$16.15 RON 73.4

187.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.72 RON 3.29

487.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.87 RON 3.95

-2.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$9.37 RON 42.61

100.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.53 RON 6.94

32.03%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$28.0K RON 127.3K

24.83%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$26.2K RON 119.0K

51.41%

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

$148 €128

$114 RON 520

29.26%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$8.42 RON 38.28

143.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$11.49 RON 52.2

243.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$51.7 RON 235

-6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$20.99 RON 95.4

-12.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$6.97 RON 31.69

30.56%

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

$615 €532

$435 RON 1,979

41.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,894 RON 31.3K

136.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$54.2 RON 247

87.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$38.93 RON 177

8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$67.9 RON 309

36.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$92.3 RON 420

32.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$284 RON 1,292

467.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$207 RON 943

504.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$537 RON 2,443

471.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$401 RON 1,823

407.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,106 RON 9,574

268.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,463 RON 6,651

193.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$898 RON 4,081

78.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.5

-41.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $284 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 78% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Baia Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $194 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Baia Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 78% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $284 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $435 in Baia Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Baia Mare versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baia Mare but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Baia Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baia Mare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Baia Mare 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 Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.