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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,015 in Mamaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,555 in Mamaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,096 in Mamaia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 123% more expensive than Mamaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Mamaia is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.76 RON 44.15

63.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$46.49 RON 210

36.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.96 RON 36.01

30.40%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.66 RON 12.03

4.89%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.93 RON 8.73

21.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.71 RON 7.72

-8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.27 RON 10.28

51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.78 RON 12.59

40.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.54 RON 6.95

-29.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.26 RON 5.68

40.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.71 RON 7.73

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.21 RON 14.53

-1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$8.35 RON 37.77

63.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.69 RON 30.26

19.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$9.91 RON 44.83

56.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.15 RON 5.20

99.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.58 RON 7.17

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.55 RON 7.03

25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.14 RON 9.69

17.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.87 RON 3.92

105.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.88 RON 3.99

128.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.93 RON 4.21

111.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.85 RON 3.82

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.04 RON 27.31

12.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$6.21 RON 28.08

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.07 RON 4.83

29.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.64 RON 7.40

84.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.68 RON 3.07

233.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$19.56 RON 88.5

132.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.71 RON 3.23

504.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.75 RON 3.39

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$6.77 RON 30.63

170.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.57 RON 7.08

26.75%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$28.4K RON 128.5K

23.37%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$27.5K RON 124.6K

43.55%

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

$146 €126

$146 RON 662

-0.18%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$8.19 RON 37.05

149.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$8.91 RON 40.29

337.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$41.81 RON 189

17.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$19.00 RON 86.0

-0.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.97 RON 31.52

36.59%

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

$608 €524

$422 RON 1,909

44.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$6,856 RON 31.0K

140.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$68.5 RON 310

51.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$40.38 RON 183

4.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$74.8 RON 338

23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$95.4 RON 431

25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$391 RON 1,770

314.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$290 RON 1,313

336.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$583 RON 2,637

422.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$439 RON 1,986

357.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,872 RON 8,466

309.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,515 RON 6,851

185.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mamaia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $391 in Mamaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Mamaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $207 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 123% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,015 including rent). Mamaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $1,522 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $391 in Mamaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $422 in Mamaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,015 in Mamaia versus $2,263 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 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.