Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sighisoara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sighisoara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $977 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,508 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,038 in Sighisoara.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sighisoara is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$11.44 RON 52.0

37.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$40.22 RON 183

57.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.22 RON 37.36

27.13%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.35 RON 10.70

23.83%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.36 RON 10.72

-2.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.66 RON 7.55

-9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.32 RON 10.55

53.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.08 RON 13.98

28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.58 RON 7.17

-31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.34 RON 6.11

31.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.65 RON 7.49

3.03%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.29 RON 14.95

-1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.27 RON 37.59

60.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$7.29 RON 33.15

5.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$8.16 RON 37.12

93.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.12 RON 5.11

103.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.70 RON 7.74

-2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.59 RON 7.23

27.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.41 RON 10.97

2.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.79 RON 3.58

126.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.97 RON 4.43

113.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.04 RON 4.71

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.89 RON 4.06

-6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.70 RON 25.91

14.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.72 RON 35.11

-27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.17 RON 5.33

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.06 RON 9.35

46.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.72 RON 3.25

215.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$20.09 RON 91.3

130.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.93 RON 4.21

354.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.75 RON 3.43

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$9.34 RON 42.47

101.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.70 RON 7.71

18.82%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$27.6K RON 125.5K

26.67%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$26.7K RON 121.5K

48.34%

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

$148 €128

$65.0 RON 295

127.76%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$9.18 RON 41.73

123.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$9.08 RON 41.26

335.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$42.05 RON 191

14.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$18.82 RON 85.6

-2.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$8.09 RON 36.77

12.48%

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

$615 €532

$486 RON 2,208

26.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$10.5K RON 47.8K

54.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$69.9 RON 318

45.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$40.79 RON 185

3.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$84.8 RON 386

8.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$98.6 RON 448

23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$392 RON 1,783

310.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$287 RON 1,304

337.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$592 RON 2,690

418.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$434 RON 1,972

369.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,984 RON 9,021

290.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,438 RON 6,540

197.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$615 RON 2,795

160.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.85

-34.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $392 in Sighisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 161% 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 $40.00 in Sighisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $214 per month, with Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sighisoara differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $977 including rent). Sighisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 161% 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 $392 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $486 in Sighisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $977 in Sighisoara versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sighisoara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara 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.