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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $800 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,275 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,751 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 176% more expensive than Miercurea Ciuc, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Miercurea Ciuc is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$7.00 RON 31.65

127.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$22.78 RON 103

184.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.85 RON 30.95

53.43%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.87 RON 8.43

53.48%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.76 RON 7.97

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.48 RON 6.67

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.24 RON 10.11

55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.15 RON 9.71

80.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.34 RON 6.07

-14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.05 RON 4.73

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.18 RON 5.35

49.15%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.24 RON 14.63

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.55 RON 38.65

57.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.97 RON 31.53

13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.52 RON 29.47

143.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.77 RON 3.50

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.46 RON 6.61

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.35 RON 6.09

48.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.95 RON 8.83

26.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.66 RON 2.99

178.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.94 RON 4.25

112.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.75 RON 3.37

157.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.72 RON 3.24

9.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.91 RON 26.70

11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.67 RON 25.61

0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.96 RON 4.33

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.13 RON 5.09

162.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.95 RON 4.28

149.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$23.44 RON 106

94.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.66 RON 2.98

550.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.66 RON 2.99

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.62 RON 25.39

225.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.61 RON 7.27

27.95%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$25.2K RON 113.8K

36.17%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.8K RON 120.9K

46.88%

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

$148 €127

$135 RON 611

9.38%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$5.63 RON 25.45

264.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$5.93 RON 26.80

567.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$34.49 RON 156

38.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$11.40 RON 51.6

65.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.03 RON 22.72

82.50%

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

$614 €528

$420 RON 1,900

46.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,906 RON 31.2K

132.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$45.71 RON 207

128.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$18.18 RON 82.2

131.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$73.5 RON 332

27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$90.4 RON 409

32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$206 RON 930

690.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$175 RON 793

615.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$456 RON 2,062

564.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$420 RON 1,901

380.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,583 RON 7,154

392.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,451 RON 6,558

194.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$720 RON 3,256

122.63%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $206 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 123% 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 $23.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 176% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $800 including rent). Miercurea Ciuc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 123% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $206 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $420 in Miercurea Ciuc. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $800 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $2,210 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 176% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.