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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $947 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,455 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,962 in Satu Mare.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 133% more expensive than Satu Mare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Satu Mare is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$8.97 RON 40.57

77.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$46.81 RON 212

38.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.73 RON 30.41

56.17%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.44 RON 11.04

17.62%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.72 RON 7.79

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.46 RON 6.60

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.01 RON 9.08

73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.27 RON 10.28

70.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.51 RON 6.84

-24.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.13 RON 5.12

54.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.27 RON 5.72

38.58%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.09 RON 13.95

4.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.29 RON 37.48

62.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.32 RON 28.56

25.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.36 RON 51.4

39.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.09 RON 4.91

111.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.50 RON 6.77

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.40 RON 6.32

43.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.79 RON 8.08

37.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.71 RON 3.22

159.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.98 RON 4.45

104.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.67 RON 3.01

188.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.77 RON 3.48

2.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.71 RON 25.82

15.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.47 RON 29.26

-11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.25 RON 5.64

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.67 RON 7.56

77.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.59 RON 2.68

301.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$25.41 RON 115

79.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.83 RON 3.74

416.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.87 RON 3.94

-5.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$7.32 RON 33.08

150.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.55 RON 7.00

32.90%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$25.1K RON 113.7K

36.32%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.4K RON 115.0K

54.47%

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

$148 €127

$137 RON 621

7.70%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.00 RON 36.14

156.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$9.30 RON 42.06

325.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$48.87 RON 221

-2.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$11.66 RON 52.7

62.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.79 RON 30.70

35.20%

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

$614 €528

$187 RON 844

228.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$10.3K RON 46.3K

56.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$65.8 RON 297

59.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$30.23 RON 137

39.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$81.2 RON 367

15.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$76.5 RON 346

56.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$304 RON 1,374

435.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$236 RON 1,069

430.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$546 RON 2,469

454.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$348 RON 1,574

480.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,057 RON 4,776

638.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,117 RON 5,048

282.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$689 RON 3,115

132.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.66

-42.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $304 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 133% 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 $47.00 in Satu Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $202 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 133% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $947 including rent). Satu Mare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 133% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $304 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $187 in Satu Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Satu Mare versus $2,210 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 133% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.