Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sibiu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sibiu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,178 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,732 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,285 in Sibiu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 97% more expensive than in Sibiu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Sibiu is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$8.74 RON 39.48

97.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$43.54 RON 197

45.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$7.95 RON 35.89

43.27%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.27 RON 14.75

-2.45%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$2.16 RON 9.75

13.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.89 RON 8.54

-6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.38 RON 15.28

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.97 RON 17.94

-14.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.45 RON 6.56

-14.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.19 RON 5.38

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.45 RON 6.55

4.83%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$3.68 RON 16.62

9.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$8.52 RON 38.49

58.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$6.36 RON 28.71

31.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$8.22 RON 37.13

122.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.22 RON 5.52

87.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.56 RON 7.06

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.52 RON 6.87

22.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.73 RON 12.33

-3.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.70 RON 3.18

174.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.68 RON 3.06

207.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.04 RON 4.68

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.92 RON 4.17

-8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$6.23 RON 28.13

8.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$7.85 RON 35.47

-27.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.95 RON 4.28

45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.47 RON 6.64

51.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.79 RON 3.59

203.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$18.07 RON 81.6

158.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.00 RON 4.52

317.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.90 RON 4.07

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$8.64 RON 39.01

104.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.85 RON 8.35

25.41%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$30.1K RON 135.9K

17.47%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$26.6K RON 120.0K

55.96%

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

$170 €146

$119 RON 540

42.56%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$9.48 RON 42.80

104.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$12.69 RON 57.3

165.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$36.45 RON 165

31.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$14.68 RON 66.3

35.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$7.12 RON 32.15

39.33%

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

$717 €617

$455 RON 2,055

57.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,957 RON 31.4K

151.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$79.6 RON 360

31.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$34.09 RON 154

37.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$92.3 RON 417

12.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$92.6 RON 418

33.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$458 RON 2,071

265.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$431 RON 1,947

194.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$859 RON 3,880

247.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$631 RON 2,848

215.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,524 RON 11.4K

210.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$2,150 RON 9,709

116.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,161 RON 5,245

36.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

7.02

-46.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $458 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 36% 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 $44.00 in Sibiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $206 per month, with Sibiu 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 Sibiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sibiu differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,178 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% 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 $458 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $455 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,178 in Sibiu versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibiu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sibiu 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 Sibiu 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 Sibiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.