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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $979 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,490 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,001 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 135% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Targu Frumos is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$9.00 RON 41.22

95.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$43.98 RON 201

42.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$8.80 RON 40.30

31.59%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.41 RON 11.03

28.63%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.51 RON 6.93

64.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.24 RON 5.66

40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.94 RON 8.91

79.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.37 RON 10.86

45.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.44 RON 6.59

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.18 RON 5.39

61.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.54 RON 7.05

-2.60%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.03 RON 13.90

31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$8.58 RON 39.29

54.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$6.29 RON 28.82

27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$10.77 RON 49.34

67.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.05 RON 4.79

123.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.40 RON 6.39

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.51 RON 6.90

22.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.90 RON 8.69

34.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.79 RON 3.61

132.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.58 RON 2.64

262.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.88 RON 4.03

69.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.79 RON 3.60

3.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.27 RON 28.72

13.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$7.94 RON 36.37

-25.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.12 RON 5.14

16.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.70 RON 7.78

25.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.78 RON 3.59

202.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$22.30 RON 102

109.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.85 RON 3.88

380.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.86 RON 3.92

32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$7.98 RON 36.57

114.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.85 RON 8.46

24.86%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.1K RON 133.1K

17.44%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$27.4K RON 125.6K

50.95%

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

$169 €147

$107 RON 492

56.97%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$9.87 RON 45.21

95.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$8.36 RON 38.28

300.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$39.49 RON 181

23.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$21.50 RON 98.5

-9.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$6.60 RON 30.24

45.00%

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

$696 €606

$455 RON 2,083

53.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,317 RON 33.5K

137.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$55.8 RON 255

88.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$31.17 RON 143

53.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$79.2 RON 363

26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$82.1 RON 376

51.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$396 RON 1,814

319.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$297 RON 1,359

319.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$634 RON 2,905

367.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$472 RON 2,161

334.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$1,883 RON 8,625

316.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$1,385 RON 6,347

222.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.47

-49.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $396 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $204 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 135% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $979 including rent). Targu Frumos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,468 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $396 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $455 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $979 in Targu Frumos versus $2,296 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 135% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.