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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,041 in Targu Jiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,651 in Targu Jiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,261 in Targu Jiu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 119% more expensive than in Targu Jiu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Targu Jiu is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$13.57 RON 62.0

16.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$70.1 RON 320

-9.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$8.03 RON 36.66

30.14%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$3.43 RON 15.66

-15.16%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.12 RON 5.12

104.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.37 RON 10.83

-36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$3.43 RON 15.67

3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.80 RON 17.36

4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.77 RON 8.09

-38.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.42 RON 6.51

23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.89 RON 8.63

-10.05%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.99 RON 13.66

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$7.84 RON 35.81

69.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$3.26 RON 14.90

136.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$7.89 RON 36.02

99.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.02 RON 4.66

123.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.62 RON 7.41

2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.26 RON 5.74

60.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.39 RON 6.35

77.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.96 RON 4.36

86.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.01 RON 4.62

104.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.71 RON 3.24

177.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.57 RON 2.58

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$5.55 RON 25.37

18.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$3.13 RON 14.30

77.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.88 RON 4.03

51.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.12 RON 5.11

168.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.72 RON 3.28

215.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$19.97 RON 91.2

132.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.68 RON 3.10

522.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.66 RON 2.99

28.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$7.01 RON 32.02

168.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.67 RON 7.63

20.96%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$29.3K RON 133.8K

19.28%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$30.5K RON 139.2K

30.06%

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

$148 €129

$180 RON 821

-17.73%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$6.60 RON 30.12

210.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$10.41 RON 47.52

279.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$41.78 RON 191

15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$19.22 RON 87.8

-4.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$9.00 RON 41.08

1.11%

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

$615 €536

$653 RON 2,982

-5.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$14.6K RON 66.5K

11.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$55.0 RON 251

84.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$27.42 RON 125

53.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$58.1 RON 265

58.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$92.4 RON 422

32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$380 RON 1,733

324.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$251 RON 1,146

399.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$514 RON 2,347

497.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$430 RON 1,965

373.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$2,574 RON 11.8K

201.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$545 RON 2,488

193.97%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $380 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 194% 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 $70.0 in Targu Jiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 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 119% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,041 including rent). Targu Jiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 194% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $380 in Targu Jiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $653 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 $1,041 in Targu Jiu versus $2,280 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 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.