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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $894 in Baia Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,405 in Baia Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,917 in Baia Mare.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 149% more expensive than Baia Mare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Baia Mare is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.40 RON 41.00

72.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$37.34 RON 163

72.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.80 RON 29.63

52.65%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.12 RON 9.24

30.66%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.72 RON 7.52

30.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.29 RON 5.61

21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.60 RON 6.97

118.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.22 RON 9.68

80.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.52 RON 6.63

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.22 RON 5.32

42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.58 RON 6.89

10.13%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.35 RON 14.62

-5.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.64 RON 33.29

75.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$5.98 RON 26.08

33.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.87 RON 38.68

81.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.22 RON 5.33

86.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.53 RON 6.67

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.72 RON 7.51

12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.16 RON 9.40

17.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.78 RON 3.39

134.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.88 RON 3.83

131.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.05 RON 4.58

88.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.80 RON 3.49

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.17 RON 22.56

32.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.94 RON 21.55

17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.04 RON 4.54

31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.84 RON 8.03

57.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.67 RON 2.93

240.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$16.29 RON 71.0

187.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.76 RON 3.32

436.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.81 RON 3.53

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$9.07 RON 39.54

101.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.53 RON 6.65

31.37%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$28.4K RON 124.0K

23.96%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$26.7K RON 116.3K

44.35%

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

$145 €124

$116 RON 508

24.85%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$8.84 RON 38.53

137.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$11.30 RON 49.27

254.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$50.8 RON 221

-3.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$21.02 RON 91.7

-11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.87 RON 29.95

31.88%

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

$607 €519

$424 RON 1,849

43.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,879 RON 30.0K

137.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$52.8 RON 230

98.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$37.98 RON 166

7.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$69.9 RON 305

33.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$93.5 RON 408

26.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$282 RON 1,229

468.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$207 RON 901

497.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$535 RON 2,334

468.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$412 RON 1,797

398.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$2,374 RON 10.3K

224.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,632 RON 7,114

161.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$906 RON 3,949

74.90%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $282 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 75% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Baia Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $196 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 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 75% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $282 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $424 in Baia Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $894 in Baia Mare versus $2,227 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 149% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.