Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Roman Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Roman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $983 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,490 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,998 in Roman.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 127% more expensive than Roman, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Roman is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$12.10 RON 52.7

33.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$27.98 RON 122

130.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.90 RON 34.44

31.39%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.51 RON 15.29

-21.08%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.18 RON 5.13

90.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.08 RON 9.06

-24.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$3.16 RON 13.80

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.32 RON 10.10

72.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.53 RON 6.69

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.90 RON 3.91

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.59 RON 6.94

9.43%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.13 RON 13.63

1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.68 RON 37.83

54.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.16 RON 31.23

11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$11.70 RON 51.0

37.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.96 RON 4.19

137.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.54 RON 6.73

11.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.52 RON 6.63

27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.25 RON 9.82

12.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.84 RON 3.68

117.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.02 RON 4.43

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.88 RON 3.84

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.78 RON 3.41

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.74 RON 25.03

19.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$6.86 RON 29.89

-15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.09 RON 4.76

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.73 RON 7.56

67.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.72 RON 3.12

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$20.13 RON 87.8

132.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.70 RON 3.07

482.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.60 RON 2.61

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.80 RON 29.64

168.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.67 RON 7.27

20.36%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$28.3K RON 123.4K

24.57%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.6K RON 120.3K

39.48%

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

$145 €124

$93.4 RON 407

55.74%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$3.55 RON 15.47

490.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$5.82 RON 25.35

588.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.67 RON 182

17.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$19.16 RON 83.6

-2.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$11.12 RON 48.47

-18.53%

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

$607 €519

$327 RON 1,428

85.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,466 RON 28.2K

152.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$68.1 RON 297

53.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$17.31 RON 75.5

136.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$96.0 RON 419

-2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$34.81 RON 152

240.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$382 RON 1,666

319.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$291 RON 1,268

324.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$587 RON 2,559

418.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$430 RON 1,873

378.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,672 RON 7,289

361.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,534 RON 6,689

178.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$911 RON 3,973

73.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.7

-50.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Roman: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $382 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 74% 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 $28.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $212 per month, with Roman 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 Roman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Roman differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $983 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 74% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $382 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $327 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $983 in Roman versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Roman 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 Roman 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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.