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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,118 in Turda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,707 in Turda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,297 in Turda.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 105% more expensive than in Turda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Turda is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$13.33 RON 61.1

31.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$33.98 RON 156

84.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$8.71 RON 39.92

32.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.89 RON 13.26

7.27%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.92 RON 8.81

29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.41 RON 6.46

23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.26 RON 10.37

53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.27 RON 10.41

51.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.59 RON 7.30

-27.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.49 RON 6.84

28.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.62 RON 7.44

-7.41%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.93 RON 13.44

35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$6.46 RON 29.61

105.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.91 RON 31.68

15.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$12.42 RON 56.9

45.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.20 RON 5.52

95.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.55 RON 7.11

12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.38 RON 6.32

34.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.55 RON 11.69

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.98 RON 4.51

87.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.04 RON 4.76

101.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.98 RON 4.47

52.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.03 RON 4.70

-20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$5.44 RON 24.96

30.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.63 RON 35.00

-22.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.36 RON 6.22

-3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.74 RON 8.00

22.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.30 RON 5.97

81.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$22.77 RON 104

104.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.80 RON 3.68

410.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.81 RON 3.71

40.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$6.20 RON 28.43

175.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.77 RON 8.12

30.51%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.8K RON 136.4K

14.71%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$26.4K RON 121.0K

56.70%

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

$169 €147

$166 RON 759

1.74%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$8.76 RON 40.16

120.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$10.47 RON 48.00

220.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$39.34 RON 180

24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$19.56 RON 89.7

-0.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.00 RON 45.86

-4.30%

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

$696 €606

$625 RON 2,865

11.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,662 RON 30.5K

160.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$44.10 RON 202

138.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$44.61 RON 205

7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$106 RON 485

-5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$116 RON 532

7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$404 RON 1,852

311.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$299 RON 1,372

316.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$636 RON 2,914

366.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$472 RON 2,166

333.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$1,890 RON 8,666

314.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$1,338 RON 6,134

233.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$760 RON 3,483

114.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.8

-44.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Turda: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $404 in Turda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 115% 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 $34.00 in Turda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 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 105% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,118 including rent). Turda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 115% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $404 in Turda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $625 in Turda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,118 in Turda versus $2,296 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 105% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.