Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sfantu Gheorghe Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sfantu Gheorghe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $864 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,354 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,845 in Sfantu Gheorghe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 166% more expensive than in Sfantu Gheorghe, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sfantu Gheorghe is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$8.81 RON 40.36

99.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$43.44 RON 199

44.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$7.67 RON 35.12

50.98%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.73 RON 12.50

13.55%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.36 RON 6.24

83.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.08 RON 4.97

61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.59 RON 11.84

34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.19 RON 10.04

57.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.51 RON 6.94

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.17 RON 5.34

63.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.48 RON 6.77

1.35%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.51 RON 16.07

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$8.35 RON 38.24

59.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$4.74 RON 21.72

68.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$8.15 RON 37.35

121.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.14 RON 5.22

106.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.58 RON 7.25

10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.27 RON 5.80

45.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.77 RON 12.70

-7.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.74 RON 3.38

148.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.63 RON 2.89

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.03 RON 4.72

44.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.79 RON 3.62

3.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$5.11 RON 23.43

38.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$7.68 RON 35.17

-23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$0.98 RON 4.49

33.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.09 RON 4.98

95.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.91 RON 4.19

159.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$16.75 RON 76.7

178.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.98 RON 4.49

316.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.92 RON 4.19

23.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$8.64 RON 39.60

97.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.70 RON 7.77

35.88%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.2K RON 133.7K

16.92%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$26.2K RON 119.8K

58.15%

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

$169 €147

$120 RON 549

40.74%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$9.68 RON 44.32

99.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$12.73 RON 58.3

163.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$41.97 RON 192

16.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$21.10 RON 96.6

-7.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$3.38 RON 15.49

183.14%

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

$696 €606

$460 RON 2,109

51.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,020 RON 32.2K

147.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$27.87 RON 128

277.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$14.18 RON 65.0

236.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$40.16 RON 184

150.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$67.6 RON 310

84.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$299 RON 1,368

456.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$223 RON 1,020

459.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$546 RON 2,502

442.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$422 RON 1,932

385.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$1,936 RON 8,869

304.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$1,389 RON 6,361

221.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$707 RON 3,238

130.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.75

-44.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $299 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 131% 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 $43.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $194 per month, with Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sfantu Gheorghe differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $864 including rent). Sfantu Gheorghe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $299 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $460 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $864 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfantu Gheorghe but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe 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 Sfantu Gheorghe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.