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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $963 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,511 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,060 in Sighisoara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 130% more expensive than Sighisoara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$11.29 RON 50.9

39.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$40.43 RON 182

54.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$7.97 RON 35.91

32.25%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.37 RON 10.67

16.88%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$2.31 RON 10.42

-1.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.72 RON 7.77

-9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.24 RON 10.10

58.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.00 RON 13.51

32.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.64 RON 7.40

-34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.33 RON 6.00

33.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.63 RON 7.35

8.59%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$3.29 RON 14.80

-5.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$8.20 RON 36.93

62.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$6.98 RON 31.43

14.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$8.28 RON 37.29

92.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.13 RON 5.09

101.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.71 RON 7.72

-4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.57 RON 7.09

26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.38 RON 10.70

2.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.85 RON 3.81

108.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.92 RON 4.16

114.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.04 RON 4.68

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.87 RON 3.91

-8.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$5.86 RON 26.39

11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$7.68 RON 34.60

-25.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.12 RON 5.06

17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.03 RON 9.15

47.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.72 RON 3.26

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$20.12 RON 90.6

127.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.98 RON 4.42

334.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.81 RON 3.64

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$9.21 RON 41.47

104.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.63 RON 7.36

26.99%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$28.1K RON 126.4K

25.58%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$27.1K RON 122.1K

42.46%

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

$151 €130

$65.3 RON 294

131.58%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$8.87 RON 39.93

135.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$9.28 RON 41.79

326.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$41.74 RON 188

15.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$19.37 RON 87.2

-3.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$8.04 RON 36.20

12.44%

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

$610 €525

$484 RON 2,181

26.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$10.6K RON 47.6K

54.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$69.7 RON 314

45.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$40.48 RON 182

0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$84.9 RON 382

9.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$99.5 RON 448

19.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$386 RON 1,737

315.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$293 RON 1,319

322.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$590 RON 2,656

411.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$441 RON 1,985

367.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$1,894 RON 8,530

321.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,395 RON 6,281

225.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$620 RON 2,792

162.58%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $386 in Sighisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 163% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Sighisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $212 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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $963 including rent). Sighisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 163% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $386 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $484 in Sighisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $963 in Sighisoara versus $2,217 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 130% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.