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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,037 in Mamaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,555 in Mamaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,073 in Mamaia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than in Mamaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Mamaia is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$10.05 RON 45.90

56.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$45.29 RON 207

40.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$7.63 RON 34.83

36.96%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.56 RON 11.71

13.67%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.91 RON 8.74

19.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.74 RON 7.93

-13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.29 RON 10.45

55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.83 RON 12.90

39.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.52 RON 6.93

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.26 RON 5.76

39.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.62 RON 7.42

4.94%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$3.30 RON 15.09

-1.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$8.46 RON 38.62

56.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$6.81 RON 31.10

13.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$9.96 RON 45.49

58.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.19 RON 5.44

91.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.54 RON 7.02

7.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.56 RON 7.13

29.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.20 RON 10.06

12.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.88 RON 4.01

103.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.93 RON 4.26

122.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.90 RON 4.11

118.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.83 RON 3.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$5.98 RON 27.29

9.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$6.15 RON 28.08

-9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.01 RON 4.62

31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.62 RON 7.38

85.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.71 RON 3.25

219.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$19.81 RON 90.5

133.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.72 RON 3.29

487.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.72 RON 3.28

18.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$6.83 RON 31.18

175.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.54 RON 7.02

31.17%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$28.4K RON 129.9K

22.91%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$27.0K RON 123.4K

46.71%

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

$148 €129

$145 RON 662

2.09%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$7.94 RON 36.27

158.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$9.23 RON 42.15

328.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$41.76 RON 191

15.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$19.30 RON 88.1

-4.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.74 RON 30.79

35.01%

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

$615 €536

$432 RON 1,974

42.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,919 RON 31.6K

135.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$69.0 RON 315

47.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$40.32 RON 184

4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$75.2 RON 344

22.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$95.1 RON 434

28.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$386 RON 1,761

317.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$286 RON 1,308

337.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$576 RON 2,631

432.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$430 RON 1,962

373.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$1,920 RON 8,767

303.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,473 RON 6,725

191.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mamaia: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $386 in Mamaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Mamaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $208 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,037 including rent). Mamaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,555 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $386 in Mamaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $432 in Mamaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,037 in Mamaia versus $2,280 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 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.