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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,152 in Petrosani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,722 in Petrosani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,292 in Petrosani.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 96% more expensive than Petrosani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Petrosani is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$14.06 RON 63.6

13.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$43.69 RON 198

45.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.90 RON 35.72

31.39%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.32 RON 10.48

20.26%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.87 RON 8.48

25.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.65 RON 7.47

-4.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.64 RON 7.42

109.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.33 RON 10.54

67.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.73 RON 7.84

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.30 RON 5.89

36.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.85 RON 8.39

-7.57%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.52 RON 15.93

-10.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$9.35 RON 42.29

46.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$7.16 RON 32.40

11.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$12.40 RON 56.1

25.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.40 RON 6.32

63.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.58 RON 7.13

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.84 RON 8.30

5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.39 RON 10.83

5.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.03 RON 4.67

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.96 RON 4.35

109.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.99 RON 4.50

98.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.91 RON 4.12

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.43 RON 29.07

5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$6.41 RON 29.00

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.23 RON 5.57

13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.99 RON 9.00

51.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.72 RON 3.24

215.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$19.60 RON 88.7

131.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.66 RON 2.99

550.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.65 RON 2.93

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$6.82 RON 30.83

168.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.64 RON 7.41

21.34%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$28.2K RON 127.7K

24.09%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$30.5K RON 138.0K

29.59%

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

$146 €126

$181 RON 817

-19.10%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$9.13 RON 41.31

123.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$11.11 RON 50.2

250.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$41.95 RON 190

16.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$18.88 RON 85.4

-0.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$9.19 RON 41.57

3.59%

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

$608 €524

$668 RON 3,023

-9.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$14.4K RON 65.3K

14.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$82.4 RON 373

26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$44.70 RON 202

-5.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$92.0 RON 416

0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$108 RON 487

11.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$390 RON 1,763

316.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$287 RON 1,297

342.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$588 RON 2,660

418.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$430 RON 1,946

366.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$915 RON 4,139

737.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$899 RON 4,066

381.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Petrosani: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $390 in Petrosani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Petrosani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $232 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 96% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,152 including rent). Petrosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $1,728 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $390 in Petrosani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $668 in Petrosani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,152 in Petrosani versus $2,263 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 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.