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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $801 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,287 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,774 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 186% more expensive than in Miercurea Ciuc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Miercurea Ciuc is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$7.02 RON 32.22

130.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$23.35 RON 107

171.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.73 RON 30.90

53.34%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.78 RON 8.19

58.99%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.70 RON 7.81

34.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.53 RON 7.04

3.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.13 RON 9.75

59.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.13 RON 9.79

89.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.35 RON 6.18

-19.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.10 RON 5.04

59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.18 RON 5.41

49.15%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.23 RON 14.84

-1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.85 RON 40.65

49.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.99 RON 32.10

14.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$6.28 RON 28.80

147.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.84 RON 3.84

182.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.40 RON 6.44

22.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.32 RON 6.07

52.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.92 RON 8.79

26.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.71 RON 3.26

147.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.96 RON 4.39

111.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.71 RON 3.25

170.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.68 RON 3.12

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.85 RON 26.84

12.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$5.50 RON 25.25

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.90 RON 4.14

47.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.18 RON 5.42

151.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.90 RON 4.13

153.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$22.64 RON 104

102.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.68 RON 3.11

522.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.64 RON 2.94

26.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.63 RON 25.83

227.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.55 RON 7.11

34.19%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$25.0K RON 114.6K

38.84%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$27.0K RON 124.0K

44.97%

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

$148 €130

$135 RON 621

9.46%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$5.66 RON 26.00

261.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$5.62 RON 25.78

603.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$35.01 RON 161

37.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$11.56 RON 53.1

60.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.30 RON 24.31

73.96%

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

$616 €540

$423 RON 1,943

45.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,882 RON 31.6K

138.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$46.00 RON 211

123.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$18.58 RON 85.3

124.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$75.3 RON 346

25.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$91.2 RON 419

33.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$211 RON 969

673.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$172 RON 789

616.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$468 RON 2,148

562.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$407 RON 1,869

398.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,500 RON 6,886

422.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,407 RON 6,460

211.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$715 RON 3,281

124.87%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $211 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 125% 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 $23.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $183 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 186% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $801 including rent). Miercurea Ciuc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $211 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $423 in Miercurea Ciuc. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $801 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $2,291 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 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.