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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,087 in Sibiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,653 in Sibiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,219 in Sibiu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 103% more expensive than Sibiu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sibiu is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$9.02 RON 40.76

76.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$46.09 RON 208

40.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.01 RON 31.68

49.93%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.10 RON 14.00

-7.42%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.08 RON 9.39

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.73 RON 7.82

-13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.74 RON 12.39

27.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.50 RON 15.82

10.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.50 RON 6.77

-24.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.21 RON 5.48

44.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.60 RON 7.21

10.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.24 RON 14.65

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.77 RON 35.12

73.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.22 RON 28.11

27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$8.97 RON 40.55

76.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.17 RON 5.27

97.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.52 RON 6.88

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.72 RON 7.79

16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.15 RON 9.70

14.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.82 RON 3.70

124.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.86 RON 3.91

132.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.03 RON 4.64

87.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.93 RON 4.20

-15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.87 RON 26.52

12.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.48 RON 38.35

-32.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.02 RON 4.62

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.78 RON 8.06

66.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.71 RON 3.20

233.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$19.74 RON 89.2

130.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.88 RON 3.96

387.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.87 RON 3.92

-5.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$9.08 RON 41.04

101.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.66 RON 7.49

24.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.7K RON 125.2K

23.79%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.3K RON 118.8K

49.51%

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

$148 €127

$142 RON 644

3.79%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.78 RON 39.70

133.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$11.43 RON 51.7

246.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$41.14 RON 186

16.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$15.52 RON 70.1

21.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.71 RON 30.34

36.81%

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

$614 €528

$423 RON 1,912

45.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,959 RON 31.5K

130.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$67.6 RON 306

54.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$38.54 RON 174

9.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$82.0 RON 371

14.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$94.5 RON 427

26.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$370 RON 1,672

340.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$326 RON 1,473

285.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$704 RON 3,180

330.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$572 RON 2,587

252.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,513 RON 11.4K

210.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,088 RON 9,439

104.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,157 RON 5,231

38.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.5

-41.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $370 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 39% 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 $46.00 in Sibiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $205 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 103% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,087 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 39% 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 $370 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $423 in Sibiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Sibiu versus $2,210 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 103% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.