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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,322 per month in Lisbon vs $1,058 in Carei, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,409 per month in Lisbon vs $1,592 in Carei, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,496 per month in Lisbon vs $2,126 in Carei, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 119% more than Carei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 69% above the global median, while Carei is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$10.89 RON 48.94

57.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$41.26 RON 185

55.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$7.80 RON 35.03

50.13%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$2.56 RON 11.50

22.66%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$2.04 RON 9.17

23.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.63 RON 7.31

1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.26 RON 10.14

55.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.59 RON 11.63

30.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.52 RON 6.85

-23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.25 RON 5.59

61.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.55 RON 6.96

1.94%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$3.33 RON 14.98

21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$8.15 RON 36.59

57.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$6.55 RON 29.44

22.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$10.23 RON 45.97

66.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.19 RON 5.35

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.60 RON 7.20

14.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.51 RON 6.77

31.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$2.15 RON 9.65

24.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.82 RON 3.68

131.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.82 RON 3.70

140.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.86 RON 3.84

66.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.80 RON 3.58

13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$6.21 RON 27.89

9.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$6.75 RON 30.30

-15.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.07 RON 4.79

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.64 RON 7.36

29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.75 RON 3.36

220.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$24.56 RON 110

87.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$0.79 RON 3.54

437.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.68 RON 3.03

63.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$6.77 RON 30.42

165.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.81 RON 8.12

21.55%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$29.3K RON 131.5K

20.28%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$25.8K RON 115.7K

55.40%

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

$171 €146

$157 RON 707

8.66%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$8.08 RON 36.30

142.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$8.32 RON 37.36

298.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$41.08 RON 185

16.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$20.25 RON 91.0

-1.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$7.57 RON 34.02

33.69%

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

$700 €599

$457 RON 2,052

53.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$7,158 RON 32.2K

142.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$62.9 RON 282

73.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$38.02 RON 171

25.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$83.6 RON 375

27.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$86.6 RON 389

45.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$411 RON 1,848

315.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$307 RON 1,380

311.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$631 RON 2,834

371.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$461 RON 2,070

334.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$1,993 RON 8,952

302.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$1,424 RON 6,396

217.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

6.99

-46.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Carei: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,708 in Lisbon versus $411 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 $64.0 in Lisbon versus $41.00 in Carei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $207 – 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 119% 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 $3,483 per month in Lisbon and $1,587 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 34% 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 $64.0 in Lisbon and $41.00 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 $1,058, than in Lisbon at $2,322. 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 $1,058 versus $2,322 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.