Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sighetu Marmatiei Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sighetu Marmatiei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $958 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,421 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,884 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$7.05 RON 31.91

126.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$23.33 RON 106

171.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$6.61 RON 29.91

57.03%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.92 RON 8.70

45.31%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.08 RON 9.42

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.59 RON 7.21

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.05 RON 9.25

67.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.06 RON 13.85

27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.19 RON 5.38

-9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.19 RON 5.38

48.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.87 RON 8.47

-8.56%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.82 RON 12.76

11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$8.74 RON 39.54

56.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$7.10 RON 32.13

12.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.41 RON 51.6

36.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$0.96 RON 4.35

138.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.57 RON 7.09

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.51 RON 6.82

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.88 RON 8.51

33.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.78 RON 3.51

129.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.10 RON 4.96

82.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.01 RON 4.56

95.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.64 RON 2.92

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.45 RON 24.63

24.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$5.90 RON 26.68

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.00 RON 4.52

39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.53 RON 6.92

97.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.72 RON 3.27

215.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$20.13 RON 91.1

125.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.14 RON 5.15

276.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.75 RON 3.37

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$6.77 RON 30.62

170.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.56 RON 7.05

27.56%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$28.2K RON 127.5K

24.32%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$25.7K RON 116.2K

54.00%

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

$146 €126

$161 RON 727

-9.08%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$7.87 RON 35.61

159.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$9.80 RON 44.34

297.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$41.00 RON 185

19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$18.89 RON 85.5

-0.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$4.51 RON 20.39

111.09%

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

$608 €524

$307 RON 1,390

97.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$9,682 RON 43.8K

70.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$37.40 RON 169

177.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$30.25 RON 137

39.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$73.1 RON 331

26.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$71.6 RON 324

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$384 RON 1,737

322.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$293 RON 1,327

332.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$580 RON 2,622

425.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$430 RON 1,946

366.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,909 RON 8,636

301.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,293 RON 5,848

234.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$542 RON 2,453

192.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.11

-46.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $384 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 192% 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 $23.00 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $204 per month, with Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sighetu Marmatiei differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $958 including rent). Sighetu Marmatiei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 192% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $384 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $307 in Sighetu Marmatiei. 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 $958 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sighetu Marmatiei but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei 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 Sighetu Marmatiei 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.