Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Petrosani Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Petrosani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,159 in Petrosani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,716 in Petrosani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,274 in Petrosani.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 97% more expensive than in Petrosani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Petrosani is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$13.70 RON 62.6

14.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$42.54 RON 194

49.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$8.22 RON 37.52

27.13%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.23 RON 10.19

30.49%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.81 RON 8.26

26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.58 RON 7.20

-5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$1.58 RON 7.19

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.28 RON 10.39

73.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.80 RON 8.23

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.25 RON 5.72

40.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.86 RON 8.49

-8.60%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$3.61 RON 16.49

-9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$9.78 RON 44.65

35.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$6.98 RON 31.88

10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$12.43 RON 56.8

26.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.42 RON 6.47

60.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.57 RON 7.16

5.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.81 RON 8.26

11.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.49 RON 11.39

-0.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.04 RON 4.76

72.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.02 RON 4.65

102.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.94 RON 4.31

109.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.96 RON 4.37

-13.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$6.34 RON 28.96

3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$6.60 RON 30.15

-15.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.27 RON 5.80

4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.95 RON 8.90

54.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.67 RON 3.04

238.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$19.56 RON 89.3

136.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.71 RON 3.22

495.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.61 RON 2.77

39.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$7.02 RON 32.07

168.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.67 RON 7.61

20.96%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$29.1K RON 132.7K

20.29%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$30.5K RON 139.4K

29.87%

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

$148 €129

$181 RON 828

-18.44%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$9.15 RON 41.79

124.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$11.48 RON 52.4

244.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$41.75 RON 191

15.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$19.26 RON 88.0

-4.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$9.30 RON 42.48

-2.15%

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

$615 €536

$671 RON 3,063

-8.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$14.8K RON 67.6K

10.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$79.8 RON 364

27.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$45.32 RON 207

-7.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$92.0 RON 420

0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$110 RON 501

11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$391 RON 1,785

312.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$295 RON 1,346

325.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$590 RON 2,696

419.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$431 RON 1,966

373.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$918 RON 4,194

743.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$902 RON 4,120

375.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,131 RON 5,165

41.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.1

-46.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Petrosani: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $391 in Petrosani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 42% 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 $43.00 in Petrosani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $234 per month, with Petrosani 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 Petrosani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Petrosani differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,159 including rent). Petrosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $391 in Petrosani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $671 in Petrosani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,159 in Petrosani versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Petrosani but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Petrosani 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 Petrosani 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 Petrosani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.