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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,039 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,627 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,214 in Targu Jiu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 116% more expensive than Targu Jiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Targu Jiu is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$13.93 RON 60.5

12.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$68.5 RON 297

-7.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.09 RON 35.10

27.56%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.44 RON 14.93

-18.31%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.17 RON 5.07

99.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.29 RON 9.94

-34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$3.52 RON 15.29

-4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.85 RON 16.71

1.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.75 RON 7.58

-38.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.43 RON 6.20

22.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.92 RON 8.32

-8.85%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$3.08 RON 13.38

0.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.97 RON 34.59

66.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$3.30 RON 14.31

137.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$8.05 RON 34.95

99.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.02 RON 4.43

134.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.64 RON 7.14

4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.25 RON 5.41

57.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.37 RON 5.93

86.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.94 RON 4.08

90.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.96 RON 4.17

105.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.70 RON 3.06

180.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.56 RON 2.45

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.66 RON 24.55

20.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$3.24 RON 14.06

80.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.94 RON 4.06

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.12 RON 4.86

160.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.72 RON 3.11

218.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$19.69 RON 85.4

138.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.70 RON 3.05

488.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.61 RON 2.64

32.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$7.01 RON 30.42

170.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.67 RON 7.25

25.15%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$28.8K RON 125.2K

21.75%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$29.9K RON 129.8K

32.82%

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

$150 €128

$178 RON 771

-15.79%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$6.41 RON 27.82

219.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$10.25 RON 44.49

281.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$41.67 RON 181

19.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$19.38 RON 84.1

-4.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$9.38 RON 40.71

-1.92%

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

$624 €533

$670 RON 2,906

-6.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$14.5K RON 63.0K

9.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$55.8 RON 242

83.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$27.14 RON 118

50.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$56.8 RON 247

68.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$93.7 RON 407

29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$375 RON 1,627

340.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$250 RON 1,084

393.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$527 RON 2,287

477.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$440 RON 1,911

367.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$2,788 RON 12.1K

182.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$565 RON 2,454

176.99%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $375 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 177% 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 in Lisbon vs $68 in Targu Jiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $171, 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,039 including rent). Targu Jiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 177% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $375 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $670 in Targu Jiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,039 in Targu Jiu versus $2,243 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 116% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.