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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,217 per month in Lisbon vs $1,036 in Carei, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,245 per month in Lisbon vs $1,567 in Carei, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,272 per month in Lisbon vs $2,099 in Carei, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 114% more than Carei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 66% above the global median, while Carei is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$9.58 RON 43.79

64.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$45.95 RON 210

35.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$8.13 RON 37.13

29.64%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$2.66 RON 12.13

4.14%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$1.99 RON 9.07

14.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.67 RON 7.62

-7.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.26 RON 10.31

57.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.68 RON 12.24

48.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.50 RON 6.84

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.25 RON 5.69

41.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.69 RON 7.71

4.73%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$3.39 RON 15.50

-7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$8.38 RON 38.29

59.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$6.54 RON 29.87

22.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$10.47 RON 47.83

52.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.13 RON 5.16

101.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.60 RON 7.31

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.55 RON 7.09

27.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.96 RON 8.96

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.88 RON 4.01

101.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.93 RON 4.25

111.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.86 RON 3.93

129.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.83 RON 3.81

-3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$5.74 RON 26.24

13.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$7.30 RON 33.34

-21.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.03 RON 4.71

28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$1.63 RON 7.46

83.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.70 RON 3.21

234.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$19.48 RON 89.0

135.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$0.73 RON 3.33

483.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.69 RON 3.15

21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$6.96 RON 31.82

170.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.57 RON 7.17

31.85%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$28.0K RON 127.9K

25.92%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$27.1K RON 123.7K

42.64%

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

$151 €132

$151 RON 688

0.30%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$8.05 RON 36.80

159.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$8.96 RON 40.94

341.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$40.68 RON 186

18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$18.98 RON 86.7

-1.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$6.94 RON 31.69

30.26%

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

$610 €532

$434 RON 1,983

40.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,879 RON 31.4K

136.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$67.1 RON 306

50.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$39.43 RON 180

2.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$76.1 RON 347

22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$93.1 RON 425

27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$381 RON 1,743

320.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$287 RON 1,312

331.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$591 RON 2,700

410.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$445 RON 2,034

362.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$2,162 RON 9,876

269.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$1,277 RON 5,833

255.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Carei: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,603 in Lisbon versus $381 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 $62.0 in Lisbon versus $46.00 in Carei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 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 114% 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 $3,325 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 28% 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 $62.0 in Lisbon and $46.00 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 $2,217. 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 $2,217 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.