Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mamaia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mamaia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,045 in Mamaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,599 in Mamaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,153 in Mamaia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 113% more expensive than Mamaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Mamaia is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.81 RON 42.77

64.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$46.66 RON 203

38.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.04 RON 35.07

29.10%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.56 RON 11.17

8.20%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.91 RON 8.31

17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.73 RON 7.54

-9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.29 RON 9.97

52.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.78 RON 12.11

43.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.52 RON 6.64

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.22 RON 5.30

42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.67 RON 7.29

4.19%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.33 RON 14.51

-4.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.60 RON 37.48

56.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.57 RON 28.64

21.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$9.75 RON 42.53

65.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.18 RON 5.12

93.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.53 RON 6.69

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.55 RON 6.77

25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.11 RON 9.20

20.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.81 RON 3.54

125.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.90 RON 3.92

126.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.88 RON 3.84

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.83 RON 3.64

2.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.92 RON 25.81

15.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$6.21 RON 27.09

-6.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.02 RON 4.46

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.69 RON 7.37

71.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.72 RON 3.14

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$19.66 RON 85.7

138.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.76 RON 3.30

436.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.71 RON 3.11

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.75 RON 29.43

170.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.62 RON 7.07

24.07%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$27.9K RON 121.5K

26.53%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.1K RON 118.3K

41.81%

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

$145 €124

$144 RON 629

0.71%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$7.88 RON 34.37

165.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$8.93 RON 38.94

348.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.39 RON 180

17.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$19.09 RON 83.2

-2.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.89 RON 30.03

31.49%

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

$607 €519

$427 RON 1,862

42.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,823 RON 29.7K

139.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$67.6 RON 295

54.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$39.61 RON 173

3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$75.4 RON 329

24.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$94.3 RON 411

25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$383 RON 1,668

319.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$287 RON 1,252

330.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$598 RON 2,607

409.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$446 RON 1,943

361.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,910 RON 8,329

303.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,486 RON 6,479

187.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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 Mamaia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $383 in Mamaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Mamaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $206 per month, with Mamaia 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 Mamaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mamaia differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,045 including rent). Mamaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,568 in Mamaia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $383 in Mamaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $427 in Mamaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,045 in Mamaia versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mamaia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mamaia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Mamaia 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 Mamaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.