Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Turda Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Turda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,080 in Turda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,660 in Turda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,240 in Turda.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than in Turda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Turda is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.08 RON 41.26

73.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$51.6 RON 235

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.26 RON 37.56

26.51%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.95 RON 13.41

-1.36%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.89 RON 8.61

21.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.75 RON 7.94

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.25 RON 10.22

58.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.73 RON 12.43

45.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.57 RON 7.12

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.26 RON 5.72

39.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.63 RON 7.43

4.29%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.13 RON 14.24

3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$9.46 RON 42.99

40.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.94 RON 31.56

10.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$12.09 RON 55.0

30.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.16 RON 5.26

96.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.63 RON 7.41

1.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.57 RON 7.14

28.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.60 RON 7.28

54.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.95 RON 4.33

88.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.93 RON 4.23

122.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.04 RON 4.71

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.88 RON 4.00

-5.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.14 RON 27.92

6.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.76 RON 35.27

-28.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.16 RON 5.27

14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.79 RON 8.12

68.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.42 RON 6.44

59.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$19.62 RON 89.2

136.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.78 RON 3.55

442.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.75 RON 3.41

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$8.01 RON 36.43

135.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.68 RON 7.62

20.24%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$27.5K RON 125.0K

27.14%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$26.1K RON 118.6K

51.91%

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

$148 €128

$157 RON 713

-5.61%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$8.78 RON 39.90

133.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$8.50 RON 38.64

364.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$40.64 RON 185

18.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$20.57 RON 93.5

-10.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$6.77 RON 30.79

34.42%

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

$615 €532

$481 RON 2,189

27.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$8,012 RON 36.4K

103.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$68.3 RON 311

48.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$40.03 RON 182

5.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$85.6 RON 389

7.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$99.9 RON 454

22.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$385 RON 1,751

318.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$285 RON 1,294

340.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$590 RON 2,681

420.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$446 RON 2,030

356.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,865 RON 8,479

315.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,303 RON 5,925

228.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$764 RON 3,473

109.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.85

-34.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Turda: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $385 in Turda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 110% 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 $52.0 in Turda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $221 per month, with Turda 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 Turda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Turda differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,080 including rent). Turda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 110% 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 $385 in Turda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $481 in Turda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,080 in Turda versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Turda but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Turda 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 Turda 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 Turda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.