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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $996 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,472 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,949 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 68% above, Roman is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$12.39 RON 56.1

28.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$28.00 RON 127

126.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.84 RON 35.48

32.40%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.36 RON 15.21

-16.96%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.12 RON 5.07

108.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.09 RON 9.44

-24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$3.15 RON 14.26

8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.35 RON 10.63

66.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.48 RON 6.71

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.95 RON 4.29

86.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.64 RON 7.44

4.27%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.02 RON 13.68

4.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$8.71 RON 39.42

57.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.82 RON 30.86

17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.29 RON 51.1

37.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$0.95 RON 4.32

141.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.48 RON 6.69

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.48 RON 6.70

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.22 RON 10.06

13.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.77 RON 3.49

132.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.03 RON 4.65

95.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.93 RON 4.21

111.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.85 RON 3.82

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.74 RON 25.95

18.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$6.66 RON 30.12

-14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.14 RON 5.18

21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.64 RON 7.43

84.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.72 RON 3.27

215.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$19.68 RON 89.0

130.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.72 RON 3.24

495.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.66 RON 2.97

28.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$6.74 RON 30.48

171.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.68 RON 7.58

18.45%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$28.3K RON 128.1K

23.68%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$28.0K RON 126.4K

41.47%

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

$146 €126

$90.6 RON 410

61.33%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$3.47 RON 15.70

489.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$5.69 RON 25.76

585.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$41.72 RON 189

17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$18.99 RON 85.9

-0.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$10.76 RON 48.66

-11.52%

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

$608 €524

$328 RON 1,482

85.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$6,627 RON 30.0K

149.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$67.3 RON 305

54.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$17.09 RON 77.3

146.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$96.6 RON 437

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$34.85 RON 158

244.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$387 RON 1,749

319.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$286 RON 1,293

343.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$577 RON 2,608

428.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$441 RON 1,993

355.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$2,070 RON 9,365

270.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,266 RON 5,725

242.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$854 RON 3,863

85.60%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Roman: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $387 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 86% 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 $28.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $208 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 ($2,263 vs $996 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 86% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $387 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $328 in Roman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Roman versus $2,263 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.