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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,003 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,477 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,951 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 129% more expensive than in Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 27% 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

$21.75 RON 99.7

189.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$7.88 RON 36.09

46.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.72 RON 12.44

13.97%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.97 RON 9.04

26.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.80 RON 8.24

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.16 RON 9.88

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.30 RON 15.13

4.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.56 RON 7.16

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.12 RON 5.11

70.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.22 RON 5.59

22.95%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.99 RON 13.72

33.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$8.56 RON 39.22

55.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$6.57 RON 30.09

21.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$9.36 RON 42.89

92.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.12 RON 5.13

109.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.62 RON 7.42

8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.52 RON 6.95

21.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.44 RON 6.61

77.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.86 RON 3.96

113.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.99 RON 4.52

112.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.71 RON 3.27

109.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.83 RON 3.81

-1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$5.68 RON 26.02

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$6.20 RON 28.42

-4.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.04 RON 4.78

25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.85 RON 8.50

15.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.76 RON 3.48

210.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$23.04 RON 106

102.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.80 RON 3.66

410.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.74 RON 3.39

54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$7.64 RON 35.01

123.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.73 RON 7.94

33.53%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.6K RON 135.8K

15.14%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$26.6K RON 121.6K

55.83%

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

$169 €147

$144 RON 658

17.36%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$6.74 RON 30.88

186.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$8.48 RON 38.87

295.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$40.20 RON 184

21.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$21.31 RON 97.6

-8.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$4.44 RON 20.36

115.54%

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

$696 €606

$405 RON 1,855

71.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$9,190 RON 42.1K

88.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$62.4 RON 286

68.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$38.51 RON 176

23.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$57.4 RON 263

75.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$66.0 RON 302

88.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$400 RON 1,832

315.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$304 RON 1,390

310.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$627 RON 2,871

373.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$468 RON 2,142

338.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$1,902 RON 8,713

311.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$1,394 RON 6,387

220.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$547 RON 2,504

198.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.1

-46.76%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $400 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 199% 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 $22.00 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $198 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 129% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,003 including rent). Sighetu Marmatiei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 199% 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 $400 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $405 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $2,296 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 129% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.