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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $993 in Targu Mures.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,532 in Targu Mures.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,071 in Targu Mures.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 128% more expensive than in Targu Mures, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Targu Mures is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$9.12 RON 41.16

92.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$45.14 RON 204

42.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$8.66 RON 39.09

34.53%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.40 RON 10.83

35.83%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.58 RON 7.15

57.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.29 RON 5.83

29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.95 RON 8.81

77.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$2.49 RON 11.24

43.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.42 RON 6.41

-16.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.12 RON 5.04

74.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.53 RON 6.93

1.96%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$2.99 RON 13.49

34.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$8.50 RON 38.36

56.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$6.24 RON 28.18

34.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$10.62 RON 47.96

71.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.03 RON 4.65

125.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.34 RON 6.03

29.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.46 RON 6.61

32.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.90 RON 8.57

38.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.76 RON 3.42

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.56 RON 2.54

276.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.86 RON 3.89

67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.75 RON 3.39

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$6.22 RON 28.10

12.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$7.95 RON 35.88

-25.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.12 RON 5.06

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.64 RON 7.42

31.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.64 RON 2.88

271.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$27.06 RON 122

70.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.90 RON 4.07

365.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.91 RON 4.10

20.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$8.08 RON 36.46

113.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.87 RON 8.43

20.32%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$29.8K RON 134.6K

15.65%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$26.6K RON 120.2K

56.36%

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

$171 €147

$106 RON 477

61.63%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$9.81 RON 44.29

93.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$8.36 RON 37.73

310.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$43.43 RON 196

14.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$19.34 RON 87.3

0.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$6.76 RON 30.53

49.41%

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

$699 €601

$1,374 RON 6,203

-49.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$56.3 RON 254

85.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$31.54 RON 142

52.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$80.9 RON 365

25.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$81.7 RON 369

57.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$444 RON 2,004

274.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$307 RON 1,386

300.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$667 RON 3,010

337.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$505 RON 2,281

300.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$2,388 RON 10.8K

240.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,511 RON 6,820

206.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$1,042 RON 4,704

55.40%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $444 in Targu Mures. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 55% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Targu Mures for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $201 per month, with Targu Mures 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 Mures: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Targu Mures differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $993 including rent). Targu Mures is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $444 in Targu Mures. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $1,374 in Targu Mures. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $993 in Targu Mures versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures 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 Mures 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 Mures gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.