Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cluj-Napoca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cluj-Napoca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,213 in Cluj-Napoca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,938 in Cluj-Napoca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 52% more expensive than in Cluj-Napoca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Cluj-Napoca 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$13.48 RON 61.0

30.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$57.1 RON 259

12.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$10.07 RON 45.59

15.69%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.92 RON 17.74

-16.84%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.47 RON 11.21

0.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.47 RON 11.17

-32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.36 RON 15.23

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.46 RON 20.21

-19.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.74 RON 7.87

-32.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.59 RON 7.21

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.86 RON 8.41

-16.13%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.90 RON 17.67

2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.69 RON 43.87

36.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.78 RON 35.26

8.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$12.11 RON 54.8

50.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.49 RON 6.73

55.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.79 RON 8.11

-3.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.96 RON 8.90

-1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.57 RON 11.65

2.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.00 RON 4.53

90.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.05 RON 4.75

100.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.03 RON 4.69

39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.03 RON 4.68

-22.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.76 RON 30.60

3.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.54 RON 34.16

-21.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.29 RON 5.83

5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.86 RON 8.42

15.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.79 RON 3.60

201.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$32.36 RON 147

42.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.92 RON 4.15

355.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.98 RON 4.42

12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$9.12 RON 41.30

89.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.91 RON 8.63

17.80%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$29.3K RON 132.8K

17.57%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$26.1K RON 118.4K

59.22%

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

$171 €147

$165 RON 745

3.82%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$8.94 RON 40.48

112.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$10.16 RON 46.02

237.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$49.99 RON 226

-0.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$23.35 RON 106

-16.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.93 RON 44.99

1.71%

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

$699 €603

$624 RON 2,827

11.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$10.0K RON 45.3K

77.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$93.8 RON 425

11.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$49.38 RON 224

-2.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$103 RON 468

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$117 RON 530

9.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$677 RON 3,065

145.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$557 RON 2,524

120.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,195 RON 5,413

143.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$844 RON 3,824

139.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$4,864 RON 22.0K

67.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$3,549 RON 16.1K

30.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,340 RON 6,070

20.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.8

-44.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $677 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 21% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $57.0 in Cluj-Napoca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $246 per month, with Cluj-Napoca 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 Cluj-Napoca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $677 in Cluj-Napoca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cluj-Napoca runs roughly 43% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $624 in Cluj-Napoca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,488 in Cluj-Napoca versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cluj-Napoca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cluj-Napoca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cluj-Napoca 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 Cluj-Napoca 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 Cluj-Napoca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.