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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $979 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,413 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,847 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 133% more expensive than in Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$6.83 RON 31.07

130.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$22.66 RON 103

180.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.55 RON 29.77

59.54%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.93 RON 8.78

50.78%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.01 RON 9.13

13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.64 RON 7.46

-8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.01 RON 9.13

77.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.06 RON 13.91

29.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.20 RON 5.45

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.13 RON 5.14

55.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.88 RON 8.53

-9.57%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.86 RON 13.00

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.63 RON 39.24

53.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$7.11 RON 32.34

8.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$11.47 RON 52.2

37.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.98 RON 4.43

132.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.58 RON 7.20

5.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.51 RON 6.86

33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.91 RON 8.70

29.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.78 RON 3.57

129.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.05 RON 4.78

97.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.04 RON 4.71

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.59 RON 2.70

40.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.61 RON 25.49

16.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.00 RON 27.28

-7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.95 RON 4.30

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.54 RON 7.02

95.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.70 RON 3.19

224.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$19.81 RON 90.1

133.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.18 RON 5.37

258.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.82 RON 3.72

3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.71 RON 30.53

180.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.58 RON 7.18

27.85%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$28.1K RON 127.7K

24.44%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$25.5K RON 116.1K

55.30%

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

$148 €128

$162 RON 735

-8.44%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$7.96 RON 36.17

157.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$9.79 RON 44.49

303.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$41.84 RON 190

15.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$19.15 RON 87.1

-3.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.56 RON 20.74

99.56%

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

$615 €532

$306 RON 1,390

101.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$9,930 RON 45.1K

64.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$37.63 RON 171

169.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$30.23 RON 137

39.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$75.0 RON 341

23.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$72.1 RON 328

69.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$391 RON 1,778

312.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$289 RON 1,312

334.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$599 RON 2,723

412.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$433 RON 1,968

370.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,240 RON 10.2K

245.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,301 RON 5,916

229.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$542 RON 2,463

195.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $391 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 196% 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 $267 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 133% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $979 including rent). Sighetu Marmatiei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 196% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $391 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $306 in Sighetu Marmatiei. 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 $979 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $2,280 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 133% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.