Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Targu Frumos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Targu Frumos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,019 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,557 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,095 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 124% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Targu Frumos is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$8.60 RON 39.11

83.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$39.81 RON 181

59.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.94 RON 40.66

16.89%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.28 RON 10.37

27.63%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.26 RON 5.74

81.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.11 RON 5.03

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.21 RON 10.07

61.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.78 RON 12.65

42.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.55 RON 7.04

-30.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.17 RON 5.33

50.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.60 RON 7.25

6.25%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.98 RON 13.53

9.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.41 RON 38.25

57.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.94 RON 31.55

10.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$12.34 RON 56.1

27.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.98 RON 4.47

132.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.35 RON 6.15

22.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.47 RON 6.69

37.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.01 RON 9.12

22.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.94 RON 4.26

90.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.91 RON 4.14

127.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.80 RON 3.66

146.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.74 RON 3.35

12.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.13 RON 27.88

6.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.60 RON 34.54

-26.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.04 RON 4.71

27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.65 RON 7.50

82.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.71 RON 3.23

219.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$19.77 RON 89.9

134.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.93 RON 4.23

354.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.60 RON 2.73

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$7.35 RON 33.41

156.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.60 RON 7.27

26.25%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$28.1K RON 127.8K

24.39%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$28.2K RON 128.4K

40.36%

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

$148 €128

$171 RON 776

-13.34%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$8.65 RON 39.31

137.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$9.69 RON 44.05

307.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$41.29 RON 188

16.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$19.25 RON 87.5

-4.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.88 RON 26.72

54.76%

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

$615 €532

$437 RON 1,986

40.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,827 RON 31.0K

138.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$71.3 RON 324

42.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$31.70 RON 144

32.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$75.0 RON 341

23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$80.7 RON 367

51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$390 RON 1,774

312.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$294 RON 1,337

326.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$590 RON 2,681

420.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$438 RON 1,992

364.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,055 RON 9,343

277.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,246 RON 5,664

244.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.17

-53.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $390 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $212 per month, with Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Targu Frumos differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,019 including rent). Targu Frumos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,528 in Targu Frumos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $390 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $437 in Targu Frumos. 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 $1,019 in Targu Frumos versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.