Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Timisoara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Timisoara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,122 in Timisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,773 in Timisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,424 in Timisoara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than Timisoara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Timisoara is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.05 RON 40.96

76.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$58.5 RON 265

8.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$8.28 RON 37.47

25.36%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.28 RON 14.82

-14.94%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.26 RON 10.21

3.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.03 RON 9.17

-22.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.83 RON 12.78

21.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.40 RON 15.39

15.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.52 RON 6.86

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.31 RON 5.91

35.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.48 RON 6.70

15.54%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.25 RON 14.70

-3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$9.63 RON 43.56

42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.64 RON 30.02

20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.57 RON 52.3

34.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.09 RON 4.92

110.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.55 RON 7.03

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.61 RON 7.30

20.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.45 RON 11.10

2.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.73 RON 3.30

145.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.02 RON 4.59

97.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.73 RON 3.30

169.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.73 RON 3.30

15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.76 RON 26.06

17.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$7.79 RON 35.23

-27.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.20 RON 5.41

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.68 RON 7.61

79.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.90 RON 4.08

152.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$29.98 RON 136

51.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.90 RON 4.07

376.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.85 RON 3.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$7.35 RON 33.25

148.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.64 RON 7.42

21.34%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$27.9K RON 126.3K

25.52%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$26.0K RON 117.8K

51.89%

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

$146 €126

$140 RON 631

4.74%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$8.54 RON 38.62

139.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$9.01 RON 40.78

332.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$43.38 RON 196

12.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$15.02 RON 68.0

25.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$8.29 RON 37.49

14.84%

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

$608 €524

$506 RON 2,287

20.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$10.1K RON 45.8K

63.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$76.7 RON 347

35.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$42.61 RON 193

-1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$82.5 RON 373

11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$96.5 RON 436

24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$497 RON 2,247

226.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$360 RON 1,629

252.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$729 RON 3,299

317.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$586 RON 2,650

242.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$2,722 RON 12.3K

181.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,009 RON 9,086

115.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,228 RON 5,554

29.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.66

-42.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $497 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 29% 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 $58.0 in Timisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $218 per month, with Timisoara 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 Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Timisoara differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,122 including rent). Timisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 29% 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 $497 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $506 in Timisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,122 in Timisoara versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timisoara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Timisoara 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 Timisoara 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 Timisoara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.