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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,008 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,626 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,243 in Targu Jiu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 124% more expensive than Targu Jiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Targu Jiu is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.77

$13.66 RON 61.8

16.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.8

$68.2 RON 309

-7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.97

$8.08 RON 36.58

28.47%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.41

$3.34 RON 15.11

-16.47%

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

$2.34 €2.02

$1.18 RON 5.34

98.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.32 RON 10.48

-32.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.96

$3.42 RON 15.50

0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.38

$3.86 RON 17.47

1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.81 RON 8.20

-40.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.36 RON 6.17

30.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.91 RON 8.64

-10.47%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.72

$2.96 RON 13.40

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.82

$8.22 RON 37.22

66.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.92

$3.16 RON 14.32

153.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.41

$7.63 RON 34.53

103.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.06 RON 4.81

116.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.59 RON 7.21

3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.29 RON 5.84

50.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.41 RON 6.38

78.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.90 RON 4.05

98.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.98 RON 4.41

105.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.70 RON 3.18

181.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.61 RON 2.75

37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.86

$5.54 RON 25.06

22.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.90

$3.10 RON 14.05

82.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.88 RON 4.00

57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$1.18 RON 5.33

155.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.96

$0.70 RON 3.17

224.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.26

$19.68 RON 89.1

130.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.71

$0.71 RON 3.20

504.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.66 RON 2.98

28.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.79

$7.11 RON 32.17

157.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.62 RON 7.34

22.84%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$28.8K RON 130.3K

21.68%

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

$39.5K €34.2K

$29.9K RON 135.2K

32.38%

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

$146 €126

$184 RON 832

-20.49%

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

$20.45 €17.67

$6.36 RON 28.77

221.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.68

$10.25 RON 46.40

280.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.33

$42.15 RON 191

16.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.27

$19.14 RON 86.6

-1.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.23

$9.23 RON 41.76

3.14%

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

$608 €525

$671 RON 3,035

-9.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$14.7K RON 66.6K

12.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.8

$55.2 RON 250

88.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.39

$27.12 RON 123

55.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.7

$57.2 RON 259

61.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$91.7 RON 415

30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,401

$379 RON 1,715

327.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,095

$256 RON 1,157

395.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,634

$524 RON 2,370

482.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,736

$431 RON 1,951

366.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,621

$2,689 RON 12.2K

184.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,740

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,369

$544 RON 2,461

191.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.1

-46.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $379 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 191% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $68.0 in Targu Jiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $169, with Targu Jiu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Jiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Targu Jiu differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,008 including rent). Targu Jiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 191% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $379 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $671 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,008 in Targu Jiu versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Jiu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Jiu 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 Jiu 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 Jiu 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.