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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,058 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,576 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,094 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 110% more expensive than Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Targu Frumos is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$8.61 RON 38.77

83.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$39.60 RON 178

57.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$8.77 RON 39.48

20.18%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.30 RON 10.35

20.43%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.32 RON 5.95

72.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.10 RON 4.96

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.21 RON 9.98

60.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.79 RON 12.55

42.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.61 RON 7.27

-32.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.22 RON 5.48

45.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.57 RON 7.06

12.74%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.93 RON 13.18

6.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$8.87 RON 39.96

50.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$7.10 RON 31.97

12.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$12.52 RON 56.4

27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.01 RON 4.57

125.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.36 RON 6.10

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.52 RON 6.85

30.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.95 RON 8.77

25.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.90 RON 4.06

96.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.93 RON 4.20

111.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.76 RON 3.41

159.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.73 RON 3.30

9.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$6.06 RON 27.30

7.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$7.68 RON 34.58

-25.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.07 RON 4.83

23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.63 RON 7.33

83.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.71 RON 3.21

229.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$19.54 RON 88.0

134.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.89 RON 4.00

378.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.62 RON 2.78

35.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$7.16 RON 32.22

163.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.60 RON 7.20

29.37%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$28.4K RON 127.9K

24.15%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$27.9K RON 125.5K

38.60%

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

$151 €130

$172 RON 775

-12.18%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$8.98 RON 40.45

132.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$9.56 RON 43.04

313.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$40.82 RON 184

18.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$19.34 RON 87.1

-3.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$5.79 RON 26.08

56.13%

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

$610 €525

$424 RON 1,907

44.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,795 RON 30.6K

139.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$73.3 RON 330

38.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$32.63 RON 147

24.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$74.8 RON 337

24.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$81.0 RON 365

46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$385 RON 1,735

315.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$285 RON 1,286

333.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$578 RON 2,604

422.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$444 RON 2,001

363.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$1,916 RON 8,629

316.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,373 RON 6,185

230.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $385 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $215 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,058 including rent). Targu Frumos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,325 in Lisbon and $1,587 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $385 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $424 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,058 in Targu Frumos versus $2,217 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 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.