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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,130 in Timisoara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,764 in Timisoara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,397 in Timisoara.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Timisoara is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$9.26 RON 42.30

70.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$57.5 RON 263

10.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$7.92 RON 36.16

31.94%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$3.19 RON 14.56

-8.78%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.28 RON 10.43

0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.99 RON 9.08

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.69 RON 12.29

32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.37 RON 15.37

17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.53 RON 6.99

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.31 RON 5.97

34.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.51 RON 6.91

12.58%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$3.20 RON 14.60

1.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$9.61 RON 43.90

37.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$6.43 RON 29.38

19.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$11.51 RON 52.6

37.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.09 RON 4.96

109.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.57 RON 7.17

5.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.60 RON 7.33

26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.59 RON 11.83

-4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.72 RON 3.27

148.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.99 RON 4.51

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.72 RON 3.28

173.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.79 RON 3.62

5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$5.88 RON 26.87

11.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$7.56 RON 34.54

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.25 RON 5.71

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.72 RON 7.87

75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.97 RON 4.41

134.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$29.76 RON 136

55.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.85 RON 3.89

397.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.83 RON 3.81

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$7.32 RON 33.41

157.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.66 RON 7.57

21.69%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$28.3K RON 129.0K

23.72%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$26.8K RON 122.4K

47.94%

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

$148 €129

$140 RON 639

5.70%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$8.29 RON 37.84

147.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$9.39 RON 42.90

320.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$42.69 RON 195

12.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$15.17 RON 69.3

21.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$7.84 RON 35.81

16.07%

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

$615 €536

$496 RON 2,265

23.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$10.1K RON 46.3K

60.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$78.5 RON 359

29.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$42.72 RON 195

-1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$82.5 RON 377

11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$96.2 RON 439

26.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$489 RON 2,232

229.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$355 RON 1,621

253.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$717 RON 3,276

327.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$599 RON 2,737

239.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$2,689 RON 12.3K

188.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,949 RON 8,901

119.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,206 RON 5,507

32.82%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $489 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 33% 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 $267 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 ($2,280 vs $1,130 including rent). Timisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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 $489 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $496 in Timisoara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,130 in Timisoara versus $2,280 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.