Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Satu Mare Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Satu Mare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $971 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,485 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,999 in Satu Mare.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 139% more expensive than in Satu Mare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Satu Mare is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$8.95 RON 40.41

96.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$34.28 RON 155

88.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$6.60 RON 29.81

76.52%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.64 RON 11.92

23.48%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.51 RON 6.83

64.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.41 RON 6.36

18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.05 RON 9.25

69.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$2.52 RON 11.38

42.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.20 RON 5.42

-1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.14 RON 5.13

71.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.20 RON 5.41

30.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$2.79 RON 12.58

43.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$7.42 RON 33.51

78.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$7.71 RON 34.80

9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$11.34 RON 51.2

60.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.19 RON 5.36

94.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.42 RON 6.39

21.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.36 RON 6.14

41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.47 RON 6.64

79.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.20 RON 5.44

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.44 RON 6.51

46.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.97 RON 4.40

48.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.73 RON 3.30

9.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$5.77 RON 26.07

21.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$6.49 RON 29.29

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.26 RON 5.67

7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.86 RON 8.42

15.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.57 RON 2.57

317.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$24.38 RON 110

89.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.83 RON 3.73

404.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.86 RON 3.88

27.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$8.81 RON 39.77

95.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.57 RON 7.08

43.31%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$24.1K RON 108.9K

42.90%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$26.1K RON 117.8K

59.50%

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

$171 €147

$133 RON 602

28.14%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$7.73 RON 34.88

145.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$7.70 RON 34.77

345.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$44.36 RON 200

11.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$11.16 RON 50.4

74.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$6.83 RON 30.83

47.88%

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

$699 €601

$165 RON 746

323.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,075 RON 18.4K

336.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$63.1 RON 285

65.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$29.49 RON 133

62.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$88.6 RON 400

14.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$74.1 RON 335

73.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$337 RON 1,522

392.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$277 RON 1,250

343.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$666 RON 3,007

337.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$421 RON 1,902

380.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$1,050 RON 4,742

673.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,090 RON 4,919

325.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$685 RON 3,093

136.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.05

-46.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $337 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 125% 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 $34.00 in Satu Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $205 per month, with Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Satu Mare differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $971 including rent). Satu Mare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $337 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $169 in Satu Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $971 in Satu Mare versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.