Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tulcea Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tulcea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $969 in Tulcea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,499 in Tulcea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,030 in Tulcea.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 133% more expensive than Tulcea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Tulcea is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$9.86 RON 44.76

61.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$42.30 RON 192

49.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$7.89 RON 35.83

31.56%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.70 RON 12.26

3.33%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$1.94 RON 8.80

20.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.94 RON 8.82

-19.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$2.28 RON 10.34

50.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$3.54 RON 16.06

10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.40 RON 6.34

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.09 RON 4.93

62.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.69 RON 7.65

1.18%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.39 RON 10.83

31.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$8.87 RON 40.25

54.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$7.10 RON 32.23

12.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$8.93 RON 40.55

73.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.18 RON 5.34

94.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.47 RON 6.67

11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.29 RON 5.83

50.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.96 RON 8.88

28.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.74 RON 3.38

141.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.89 RON 4.05

125.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.70 RON 3.20

181.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.86 RON 3.89

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$5.88 RON 26.68

15.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$6.80 RON 30.89

-16.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.98 RON 4.45

41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$1.41 RON 6.40

114.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.71 RON 3.23

219.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$27.64 RON 125

64.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$0.68 RON 3.08

530.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.65 RON 2.95

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$5.59 RON 25.38

227.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.60 RON 7.27

24.37%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$25.2K RON 114.4K

39.02%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$26.9K RON 122.1K

47.07%

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

$146 €127

$92.2 RON 419

58.51%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$8.10 RON 36.77

152.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$9.71 RON 44.07

301.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$26.58 RON 121

84.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$19.11 RON 86.8

-1.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$6.71 RON 30.46

41.88%

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

$608 €527

$430 RON 1,952

41.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$6,893 RON 31.3K

139.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$84.1 RON 382

23.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$41.91 RON 190

0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$74.8 RON 339

23.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$96.4 RON 438

24.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$389 RON 1,766

316.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$289 RON 1,314

338.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$577 RON 2,621

427.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$433 RON 1,966

363.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$1,329 RON 6,034

476.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$1,165 RON 5,287

271.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$644 RON 2,921

146.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.5

-41.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $389 in Tulcea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 146% 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 $42.00 in Tulcea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $198 per month, with Tulcea 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 Tulcea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tulcea differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $969 including rent). Tulcea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 146% 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 $389 in Tulcea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $430 in Tulcea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $969 in Tulcea versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tulcea but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcea 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 Tulcea 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 Tulcea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.