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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,126 in Petrosani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,741 in Petrosani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,356 in Petrosani.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than Petrosani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Petrosani is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$14.04 RON 60.9

12.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$42.58 RON 185

48.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.90 RON 34.29

30.63%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.31 RON 10.03

21.65%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.89 RON 8.21

23.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.63 RON 7.07

-7.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.65 RON 7.18

104.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.35 RON 10.18

66.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.81 RON 7.86

-40.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.29 RON 5.59

35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.92 RON 8.35

-8.85%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$3.54 RON 15.37

-12.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$9.68 RON 42.00

37.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$7.22 RON 31.35

8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$12.25 RON 53.2

31.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.40 RON 6.06

70.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.64 RON 7.10

4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.83 RON 7.93

7.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.50 RON 10.87

2.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.00 RON 4.35

79.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.03 RON 4.47

91.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.95 RON 4.11

106.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.88 RON 3.82

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$6.57 RON 28.52

3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.26 RON 31.49

-19.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.23 RON 5.34

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.03 RON 8.79

43.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.71 RON 3.10

222.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$19.87 RON 86.3

135.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.71 RON 3.09

480.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.60 RON 2.61

35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$6.93 RON 30.10

173.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.71 RON 7.42

22.22%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$28.4K RON 123.2K

23.69%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$29.8K RON 129.3K

33.36%

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

$150 €128

$179 RON 778

-16.52%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$9.16 RON 39.75

123.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$11.41 RON 49.54

243.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$41.56 RON 180

19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$19.15 RON 83.1

-3.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$9.44 RON 40.96

-2.54%

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

$624 €533

$674 RON 2,924

-7.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$14.8K RON 64.3K

7.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$79.9 RON 347

27.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$45.87 RON 199

-10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$89.9 RON 390

6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$111 RON 480

9.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$393 RON 1,707

320.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$292 RON 1,267

322.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$577 RON 2,503

427.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$436 RON 1,892

372.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$934 RON 4,052

743.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$940 RON 4,078

358.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Petrosani: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $393 in Petrosani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $43 in Petrosani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $236 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 99% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,126 including rent). Petrosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,690 in Petrosani to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $393 in Petrosani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $674 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 $1,126 in Petrosani versus $2,243 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 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.