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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,237 in Timisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,867 in Timisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,498 in Timisoara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 83% more expensive than in Timisoara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Timisoara is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.18 RON 50.6

56.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$48.24 RON 218

33.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.10 RON 41.21

28.02%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.19 RON 14.44

2.19%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.16 RON 9.77

15.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.68 RON 7.62

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.72 RON 12.31

27.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.46 RON 20.20

-19.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.48 RON 6.68

-20.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.30 RON 5.89

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.41 RON 6.36

10.64%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.97 RON 13.47

35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.16 RON 41.49

44.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.51 RON 29.50

29.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.78 RON 53.3

54.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.27 RON 5.73

82.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.58 RON 7.14

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.55 RON 7.01

24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.47 RON 11.18

6.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.84 RON 3.78

126.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.03 RON 4.68

104.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.68 RON 3.10

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.77 RON 3.51

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.48 RON 29.36

8.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.70 RON 34.88

-23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.20 RON 5.45

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.79 RON 8.10

20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.09 RON 4.93

118.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$35.43 RON 160

30.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.91 RON 4.13

360.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.91 RON 4.13

20.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$8.59 RON 38.90

100.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.89 RON 8.57

19.05%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$30.2K RON 136.7K

14.22%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.5K RON 115.7K

62.89%

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

$171 €147

$180 RON 813

-4.86%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$6.91 RON 31.30

175.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$8.78 RON 39.77

290.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$41.17 RON 186

20.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$16.78 RON 76.0

16.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.04 RON 40.95

11.73%

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

$699 €603

$623 RON 2,823

12.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$9,138 RON 41.4K

94.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$77.3 RON 350

35.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$42.17 RON 191

13.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$80.3 RON 364

26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$93.8 RON 425

36.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$571 RON 2,586

190.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$373 RON 1,688

229.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$856 RON 3,878

240.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$647 RON 2,931

212.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,646 RON 12.0K

207.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,930 RON 8,740

140.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,222 RON 5,536

32.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.88

-45.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $571 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 32% 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 $48.00 in Timisoara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $217 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 83% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,237 including rent). Timisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $571 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $623 in Timisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,237 in Timisoara versus $2,268 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 83% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.