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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,041 in Mangalia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,586 in Mangalia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,130 in Mangalia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 114% more expensive than Mangalia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.77 RON 42.62

65.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$42.74 RON 186

51.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.62 RON 33.21

36.22%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.69 RON 11.73

2.97%

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

$1.85 RON 8.05

-15.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.35 RON 10.27

48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.36 RON 14.66

19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.35 RON 5.87

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.10 RON 4.80

58.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.76 RON 7.67

-1.14%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.21 RON 14.01

-0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.55 RON 37.26

57.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.89 RON 30.04

15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.91 RON 38.84

80.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.18 RON 5.13

93.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.47 RON 6.41

17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.29 RON 5.62

50.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.94 RON 8.46

30.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.76 RON 3.30

140.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.88 RON 3.83

131.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.75 RON 3.26

164.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.87 RON 3.78

-2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.69 RON 24.82

20.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.02 RON 30.62

-17.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.92 RON 4.00

48.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.41 RON 6.15

105.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.72 RON 3.12

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$19.96 RON 87.0

134.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.70 RON 3.05

482.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.60 RON 2.63

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$5.65 RON 24.64

223.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.53 RON 6.68

31.37%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$24.5K RON 106.7K

44.11%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.5K RON 120.1K

39.77%

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

$145 €124

$149 RON 648

-2.23%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$6.67 RON 29.07

214.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$10.07 RON 43.92

297.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.00 RON 179

19.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$19.22 RON 83.8

-2.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.78 RON 29.57

33.63%

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

$607 €519

$434 RON 1,894

39.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,835 RON 29.8K

138.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$83.3 RON 363

25.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$43.27 RON 189

-5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$73.8 RON 322

26.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$98.7 RON 430

20.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$386 RON 1,682

315.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$291 RON 1,270

324.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$599 RON 2,612

408.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$432 RON 1,884

376.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,646 RON 7,178

368.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,554 RON 6,776

174.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$811 RON 3,535

95.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.62

-42.45%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mangalia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $386 in Mangalia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 95% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Mangalia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $200 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 114% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,041 including rent). Mangalia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 95% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $386 in Mangalia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $434 in Mangalia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,041 in Mangalia versus $2,227 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 114% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.