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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $973 in Satu Mare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,472 in Satu Mare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,972 in Satu Mare.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 136% more expensive than in Satu Mare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Satu Mare is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$9.49 RON 43.54

70.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$46.08 RON 212

37.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.77 RON 31.06

52.44%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.42 RON 11.11

16.94%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.72 RON 7.89

33.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.40 RON 6.42

12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.13 RON 9.79

59.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.27 RON 10.40

77.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.48 RON 6.81

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.13 RON 5.21

54.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.24 RON 5.70

41.94%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.21 RON 14.75

-1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.91 RON 36.29

66.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.38 RON 29.28

24.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$11.47 RON 52.7

35.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.14 RON 5.24

107.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.43 RON 6.57

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.42 RON 6.50

41.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.80 RON 8.27

35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.72 RON 3.31

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.01 RON 4.65

100.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.68 RON 3.11

182.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.78 RON 3.58

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.80 RON 26.62

13.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.55 RON 30.08

-14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.21 RON 5.56

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.72 RON 7.90

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.56 RON 2.55

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$25.62 RON 118

78.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.91 RON 4.18

364.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.81 RON 3.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$7.35 RON 33.74

150.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.60 RON 7.34

30.00%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$25.0K RON 114.7K

38.72%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.0K RON 119.3K

50.61%

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

$148 €130

$139 RON 636

6.85%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$8.08 RON 37.10

153.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$9.45 RON 43.38

318.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$47.91 RON 220

0.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$11.58 RON 53.2

60.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$6.87 RON 31.52

34.21%

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

$616 €540

$181 RON 832

239.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$10.2K RON 46.6K

61.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$65.4 RON 300

57.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$30.97 RON 142

34.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$83.7 RON 384

13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$77.8 RON 357

56.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$309 RON 1,417

428.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$241 RON 1,105

411.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$543 RON 2,491

470.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$343 RON 1,573

492.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,039 RON 4,771

653.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,078 RON 4,950

307.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$692 RON 3,174

132.42%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $309 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 132% 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 $46.00 in Satu Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 136% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $973 including rent). Satu Mare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $309 in Satu Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $181 in Satu Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $973 in Satu Mare versus $2,291 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 136% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.