Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Miercurea Ciuc Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Miercurea Ciuc

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $789 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,248 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,708 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 194% more expensive than in Miercurea Ciuc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Miercurea Ciuc is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$6.44 RON 29.10

168.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$21.80 RON 98.5

190.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$6.44 RON 29.11

76.86%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.81 RON 8.16

76.24%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.64 RON 7.39

49.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.42 RON 6.43

23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.08 RON 9.39

72.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.06 RON 9.30

64.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.45 RON 6.54

-14.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.16 RON 5.24

70.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.41 RON 6.39

7.80%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$3.58 RON 16.15

12.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$8.16 RON 36.87

65.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.98 RON 22.50

68.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$8.44 RON 38.10

116.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$0.76 RON 3.43

201.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.57 RON 7.10

10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.58 RON 7.13

17.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.63 RON 11.87

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.64 RON 2.88

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.68 RON 3.06

207.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.42 RON 1.90

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.69 RON 3.13

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$5.39 RON 24.37

25.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.66 RON 25.58

0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.99 RON 4.48

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.36 RON 6.14

63.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.90 RON 4.05

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$21.82 RON 98.6

114.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.96 RON 4.32

334.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.89 RON 4.04

28.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$8.80 RON 39.76

100.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.74 RON 7.86

33.33%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$26.8K RON 121.3K

31.61%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$26.1K RON 118.0K

58.65%

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

$170 €146

$120 RON 542

41.89%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$5.55 RON 25.08

248.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$5.36 RON 24.20

527.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$33.70 RON 152

42.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$10.84 RON 48.98

83.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$4.99 RON 22.56

98.80%

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

$717 €617

$462 RON 2,088

55.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,892 RON 31.1K

153.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$43.90 RON 198

138.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$17.34 RON 78.3

170.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$71.1 RON 321

45.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$89.5 RON 404

38.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$196 RON 887

753.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$163 RON 737

679.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$444 RON 2,004

572.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$393 RON 1,775

406.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,566 RON 7,072

399.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,416 RON 6,397

228.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$728 RON 3,288

117.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.85

-44.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $196 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 117% 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 $22.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $186 per month, with Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Miercurea Ciuc differ by about 194% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $789 including rent). Miercurea Ciuc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 117% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $196 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $462 in Miercurea Ciuc. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $789 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miercurea Ciuc but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 194% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.