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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $969 in Sighisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,507 in Sighisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,045 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

$16.17 €13.84

$11.57 RON 50.4

39.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$40.82 RON 178

58.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.29 RON 36.13

25.21%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.23 RON 9.74

24.22%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.28 RON 9.95

-1.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.68 RON 7.34

-6.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.26 RON 9.85

54.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.05 RON 13.31

31.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.64 RON 7.15

-34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.31 RON 5.70

32.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.60 RON 6.97

8.75%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.34 RON 14.55

-4.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.92 RON 34.54

69.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.23 RON 31.52

10.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.02 RON 34.95

100.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.12 RON 4.90

103.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.73 RON 7.52

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.57 RON 6.84

23.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.29 RON 9.99

10.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.78 RON 3.42

134.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.97 RON 4.24

110.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.07 RON 4.67

85.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.89 RON 3.86

-4.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.89 RON 25.66

16.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.51 RON 32.76

-23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.17 RON 5.11

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.04 RON 8.88

42.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.67 RON 2.92

240.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$19.87 RON 86.6

135.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.99 RON 4.34

312.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.75 RON 3.27

9.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$9.31 RON 40.61

96.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.66 RON 7.22

21.08%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$27.7K RON 120.7K

27.40%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$26.3K RON 114.8K

46.19%

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

$145 €124

$65.7 RON 287

121.28%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$8.91 RON 38.83

135.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$9.11 RON 39.71

339.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$40.64 RON 177

20.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$18.99 RON 82.8

-1.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$7.98 RON 34.80

13.53%

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

$607 €519

$493 RON 2,149

23.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$10.9K RON 47.4K

50.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$69.1 RON 301

51.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$40.36 RON 176

1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$83.8 RON 365

11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$101 RON 438

17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$396 RON 1,725

305.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$290 RON 1,264

326.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$593 RON 2,584

413.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$445 RON 1,942

361.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,790 RON 7,802

330.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,388 RON 6,052

207.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$652 RON 2,842

143.02%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sighisoara: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $396 in Sighisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 143% 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 $41.00 in Sighisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $211 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 ($2,227 vs $969 including rent). Sighisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 143% 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 $396 in Sighisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $493 in Sighisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $969 in Sighisoara versus $2,227 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.