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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $970 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,405 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,841 in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 130% more expensive than Sighetu Marmatiei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Sighetu Marmatiei is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$6.79 RON 29.60

138.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$23.27 RON 101

177.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.51 RON 28.40

59.45%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.87 RON 8.16

48.13%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.98 RON 8.65

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.61 RON 7.02

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.11 RON 9.20

65.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.97 RON 12.94

34.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.24 RON 5.40

-12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.15 RON 5.00

51.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.89 RON 8.23

-7.94%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.91 RON 12.68

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.30 RON 36.20

61.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.93 RON 30.24

15.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$11.51 RON 50.2

39.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.91 RON 3.99

150.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.52 RON 6.65

13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.45 RON 6.31

33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.93 RON 8.42

31.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.77 RON 3.35

137.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.06 RON 4.60

92.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.00 RON 4.38

98.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.60 RON 2.63

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.58 RON 24.32

22.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$6.85 RON 29.85

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.94 RON 4.10

45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.54 RON 6.73

88.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.67 RON 2.91

240.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$20.15 RON 87.8

132.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.12 RON 4.90

264.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.81 RON 3.52

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$7.11 RON 31.01

156.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.54 RON 6.74

30.52%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$28.1K RON 122.3K

25.70%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$26.0K RON 113.3K

48.14%

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

$145 €124

$158 RON 689

-8.02%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$7.95 RON 34.66

163.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$9.79 RON 42.67

309.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.00 RON 179

19.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$19.13 RON 83.4

-2.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.68 RON 20.39

93.59%

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

$607 €519

$300 RON 1,308

102.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$9,799 RON 42.7K

66.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$37.62 RON 164

178.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$29.79 RON 130

37.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$72.9 RON 318

28.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$73.0 RON 318

62.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$382 RON 1,663

320.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$285 RON 1,241

334.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$588 RON 2,566

417.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$446 RON 1,946

360.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,648 RON 7,184

367.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,371 RON 5,979

211.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$571 RON 2,488

177.55%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $382 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 178% 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 $23.00 in Sighetu Marmatiei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $203 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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $970 including rent). Sighetu Marmatiei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 178% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $382 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $300 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $970 in Sighetu Marmatiei versus $2,227 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 130% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.