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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,020 in Mamaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,568 in Mamaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,115 in Mamaia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than in Mamaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Mamaia is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$9.74 RON 44.14

80.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$45.93 RON 208

40.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.99 RON 36.22

45.81%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.61 RON 11.84

24.90%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.99 RON 9.01

25.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.78 RON 8.05

-6.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.33 RON 10.54

48.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.72 RON 12.34

31.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.48 RON 6.70

-20.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.22 RON 5.51

59.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.62 RON 7.32

-3.70%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.23 RON 14.63

24.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$8.38 RON 37.98

58.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.53 RON 29.58

28.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$9.79 RON 44.34

86.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.18 RON 5.33

96.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.52 RON 6.88

13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.62 RON 7.34

19.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.19 RON 9.91

20.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.85 RON 3.85

123.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.95 RON 4.31

122.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.94 RON 4.26

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.78 RON 3.52

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.89 RON 26.68

19.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.30 RON 28.56

-6.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.06 RON 4.81

28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.65 RON 7.48

30.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.72 RON 3.27

230.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

$19.53 RON 88.5

136.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.71 RON 3.23

490.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.72 RON 3.25

52.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.05 RON 31.95

144.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.55 RON 7.02

45.16%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$28.1K RON 127.5K

22.52%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$27.2K RON 123.4K

52.84%

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

$171 €147

$144 RON 652

18.77%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$8.22 RON 37.26

131.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$9.01 RON 40.81

280.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$40.89 RON 185

21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

$18.99 RON 86.1

2.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.92 RON 31.36

45.95%

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

$699 €603

$424 RON 1,923

64.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$7,060 RON 32.0K

151.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$69.3 RON 314

51.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$40.71 RON 184

17.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$76.2 RON 345

33.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$95.1 RON 431

34.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$394 RON 1,783

322.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$295 RON 1,337

316.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$591 RON 2,679

392.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$439 RON 1,988

361.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$1,864 RON 8,444

336.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$1,512 RON 6,850

206.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.5

-41.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mamaia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $394 in Mamaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Mamaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $205 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 122% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,020 including rent). Mamaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,531 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $394 in Mamaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $424 in Mamaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Mamaia versus $2,268 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 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.