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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,031 in Mangalia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,560 in Mangalia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,088 in Mangalia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 115% more expensive than in Mangalia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Mangalia is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$9.76 RON 44.60

61.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$42.24 RON 193

47.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$7.97 RON 36.41

32.25%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$2.60 RON 11.89

6.54%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$1.99 RON 9.10

14.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.91 RON 8.72

-18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.35 RON 10.74

51.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.48 RON 15.92

14.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.42 RON 6.47

-23.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.09 RON 4.96

62.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.70 RON 7.75

4.12%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$3.25 RON 14.84

-4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$8.68 RON 39.68

53.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$6.96 RON 31.79

14.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$9.08 RON 41.49

75.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.21 RON 5.55

88.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.47 RON 6.72

11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.32 RON 6.04

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.87 RON 8.56

31.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.81 RON 3.72

118.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.89 RON 4.04

121.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.74 RON 3.38

166.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.81 RON 3.70

-1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$5.65 RON 25.82

15.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$7.13 RON 32.57

-19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$0.89 RON 4.08

48.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$1.37 RON 6.24

118.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.67 RON 3.06

249.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$19.45 RON 88.8

135.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$0.72 RON 3.28

491.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.64 RON 2.94

31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$5.86 RON 26.75

221.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.54 RON 7.02

34.42%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$24.6K RON 112.5K

43.12%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$26.7K RON 122.0K

44.53%

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

$151 €132

$145 RON 662

4.29%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$6.56 RON 29.95

218.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$10.04 RON 45.85

293.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$40.67 RON 186

18.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$19.48 RON 89.0

-4.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$6.72 RON 30.71

34.52%

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

$610 €532

$424 RON 1,938

43.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$7,030 RON 32.1K

131.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$81.6 RON 373

24.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$41.77 RON 191

-2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$73.2 RON 334

27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$98.8 RON 451

20.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$385 RON 1,759

316.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$285 RON 1,302

334.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$588 RON 2,686

413.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$432 RON 1,975

376.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$2,146 RON 9,806

271.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$1,499 RON 6,850

202.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$781 RON 3,569

108.41%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Mangalia: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $385 in Mangalia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 108% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Mangalia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $201 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 115% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,031 including rent). Mangalia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 108% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $385 in Mangalia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $424 in Mangalia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Mangalia versus $2,217 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 115% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.