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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,044 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,574 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,105 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 113% more expensive than Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Targu Frumos is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$8.87 RON 38.68

82.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$40.57 RON 177

59.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.86 RON 38.64

17.16%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.27 RON 9.89

22.03%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.33 RON 5.78

69.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.15 RON 5.00

36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.24 RON 9.79

55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.78 RON 12.10

43.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.60 RON 6.99

-32.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.22 RON 5.34

42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.63 RON 7.11

6.75%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.93 RON 12.78

8.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.57 RON 37.36

56.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.04 RON 30.69

13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$12.72 RON 55.5

26.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.01 RON 4.42

125.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.35 RON 5.91

27.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.48 RON 6.46

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.93 RON 8.42

31.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.88 RON 3.82

107.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.89 RON 3.87

129.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.79 RON 3.44

150.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.81 RON 3.51

4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$6.03 RON 26.31

13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$8.10 RON 35.32

-28.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.08 RON 4.71

26.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.68 RON 7.31

72.62%

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

$19.94 RON 86.9

134.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.89 RON 3.88

358.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.61 RON 2.67

34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$7.39 RON 32.21

147.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.55 RON 6.76

29.68%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$28.2K RON 122.9K

25.13%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$28.1K RON 122.4K

37.07%

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

$145 €124

$168 RON 731

-13.30%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$8.61 RON 37.55

143.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$10.03 RON 43.74

299.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$40.84 RON 178

19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$19.41 RON 84.6

-3.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.91 RON 25.76

53.30%

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

$607 €519

$428 RON 1,865

41.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$7,019 RON 30.6K

132.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$73.2 RON 319

42.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$32.83 RON 143

24.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$73.6 RON 321

27.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$79.5 RON 347

49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$383 RON 1,672

318.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$292 RON 1,271

323.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$586 RON 2,555

419.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$443 RON 1,934

363.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,616 RON 7,047

376.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,484 RON 6,469

187.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $383 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $41.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $217 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 113% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,044 including rent). Targu Frumos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,566 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $383 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $428 in Targu Frumos. 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 $1,044 in Targu Frumos versus $2,227 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 113% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.