Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mangalia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mangalia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,111 in Mangalia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,710 in Mangalia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,309 in Mangalia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 107% more expensive than in Mangalia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Mangalia is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$12.16 RON 55.7

44.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$49.26 RON 226

27.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$8.07 RON 36.97

43.49%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.15 RON 14.44

-1.59%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.14 RON 9.82

16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.25 RON 10.30

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.58 RON 11.81

34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.47 RON 15.90

-0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.69 RON 7.74

-31.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.22 RON 5.59

56.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.63 RON 7.44

-7.98%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.26 RON 14.94

22.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$7.89 RON 36.15

68.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$6.89 RON 31.58

16.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$10.05 RON 46.02

79.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.36 RON 6.22

72.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.80 RON 8.22

-2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.51 RON 6.92

22.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.03 RON 9.31

25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.82 RON 3.74

124.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.74 RON 3.37

183.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.71 RON 3.26

109.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.84 RON 3.84

-2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.62 RON 30.31

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$6.98 RON 31.97

-15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.04 RON 4.76

25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.47 RON 6.73

44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.68 RON 3.12

247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$22.51 RON 103

107.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.68 RON 3.13

500.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.68 RON 3.12

67.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$6.76 RON 30.95

152.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.88 RON 8.63

22.87%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.0K RON 132.8K

17.68%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$25.9K RON 118.6K

59.76%

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

$169 €147

$163 RON 747

3.39%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$6.54 RON 29.96

195.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$9.33 RON 42.74

259.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$39.71 RON 182

22.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$22.39 RON 103

-13.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$8.94 RON 40.96

7.05%

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

$696 €606

$415 RON 1,903

67.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,106 RON 28.0K

184.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$77.8 RON 356

35.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$45.17 RON 207

5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$94.3 RON 432

6.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$102 RON 466

22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$403 RON 1,848

311.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$330 RON 1,511

277.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$672 RON 3,080

340.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$406 RON 1,859

404.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$1,903 RON 8,716

311.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$1,535 RON 7,030

190.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$762 RON 3,489

114.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.85

-51.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mangalia: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $403 in Mangalia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 114% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $49.00 in Mangalia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $210 per month, with Mangalia 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 Mangalia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mangalia differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,111 including rent). Mangalia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $403 in Mangalia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $415 in Mangalia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,111 in Mangalia versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mangalia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mangalia 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 Mangalia 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 Mangalia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.