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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,061 in Targu Mures.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,549 in Targu Mures.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,036 in Targu Mures.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 108% more expensive than in Targu Mures, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Targu Mures is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$8.46 RON 38.78

85.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$39.85 RON 183

57.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$8.79 RON 40.30

19.80%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$2.19 RON 10.05

31.51%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$1.32 RON 6.03

70.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.15 RON 5.26

35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$2.25 RON 10.32

50.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$2.78 RON 12.75

40.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.62 RON 7.41

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.22 RON 5.59

41.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.59 RON 7.31

10.69%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$2.92 RON 13.40

8.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$8.68 RON 39.78

53.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$6.94 RON 31.83

13.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$12.63 RON 57.9

25.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$1.02 RON 4.66

135.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.32 RON 6.04

28.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.52 RON 6.97

33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.97 RON 9.03

27.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.91 RON 4.15

104.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.93 RON 4.28

121.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.78 RON 3.58

156.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.80 RON 3.65

-2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$6.25 RON 28.67

6.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$7.39 RON 33.89

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.05 RON 4.81

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$1.61 RON 7.40

87.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$0.56 RON 2.58

316.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$15.04 RON 68.9

202.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$0.90 RON 4.13

353.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.72 RON 3.29

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$7.52 RON 34.47

148.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.61 RON 7.39

24.22%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$27.8K RON 127.6K

27.14%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$28.5K RON 130.8K

37.00%

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

$150 €132

$167 RON 765

-10.02%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$8.53 RON 39.09

140.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$10.05 RON 46.10

292.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$46.19 RON 212

4.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$18.49 RON 84.8

1.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$5.83 RON 26.73

59.52%

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

$628 €552

$1,378 RON 6,320

-54.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$7,028 RON 32.2K

134.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$72.9 RON 334

39.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$31.90 RON 146

30.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$73.9 RON 339

25.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$80.2 RON 368

53.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$440 RON 2,019

269.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$315 RON 1,445

291.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$559 RON 2,563

459.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$407 RON 1,864

406.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$2,294 RON 10.5K

238.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$1,504 RON 6,898

191.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

$1,062 RON 4,869

52.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.17

-53.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $440 in Targu Mures. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 53% 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 $40.00 in Targu Mures for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $214 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 108% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,061 including rent). Targu Mures is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $440 in Targu Mures. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $1,378 in Targu Mures. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,061 in Targu Mures versus $2,210 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 108% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.