Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Carei Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Carei

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,227 per month in Lisbon vs $1,036 in Carei, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,305 per month in Lisbon vs $1,571 in Carei, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,384 per month in Lisbon vs $2,105 in Carei, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 115% more than Carei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 66% above the global median, while Carei is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.38 RON 40.88

72.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$45.34 RON 198

42.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.02 RON 34.96

29.43%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.61 RON 11.37

6.13%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.01 RON 8.78

11.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.72 RON 7.52

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.27 RON 9.89

53.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.84 RON 12.39

40.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.47 RON 6.42

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.23 RON 5.38

41.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.71 RON 7.47

1.75%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.37 RON 14.69

-5.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.42 RON 36.73

59.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.83 RON 29.80

16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.28 RON 44.83

56.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.13 RON 4.93

101.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.54 RON 6.73

11.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.57 RON 6.83

23.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.90 RON 8.27

33.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.89 RON 3.86

105.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.92 RON 4.03

121.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.92 RON 4.03

115.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.76 RON 3.31

11.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.76 RON 25.11

18.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.35 RON 32.07

-21.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.08 RON 4.70

26.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.65 RON 7.19

75.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.67 RON 2.91

240.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$19.63 RON 85.6

138.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.71 RON 3.11

474.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.75 RON 3.28

9.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.94 RON 30.26

163.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.59 RON 6.95

26.42%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$27.8K RON 121.0K

27.05%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.2K RON 118.8K

41.26%

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

$145 €124

$152 RON 661

-4.08%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$8.28 RON 36.11

153.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$9.14 RON 39.86

338.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.57 RON 181

17.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$18.92 RON 82.5

-1.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.80 RON 29.65

33.24%

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

$607 €519

$436 RON 1,903

38.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,886 RON 30.0K

137.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$68.6 RON 299

52.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$39.69 RON 173

3.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$73.9 RON 322

26.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$93.6 RON 408

26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$385 RON 1,678

316.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$287 RON 1,250

331.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$585 RON 2,551

420.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$435 RON 1,899

372.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,848 RON 8,057

317.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,574 RON 6,864

171.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.56

-41.92%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Carei: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Lisbon versus $385 in Carei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon versus $45.00 in Carei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $209 – making Carei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Carei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 115% more than Carei, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,341 per month in Lisbon and $1,553 in Carei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carei, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon and $45.00 in Carei. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Carei, where all-in costs run around $1,036, than in Lisbon at $2,227. In Carei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Carei costs $1,036 versus $2,227 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Carei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.