Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zalau Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zalau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $957 in Zalau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,441 in Zalau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,924 in Zalau.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 138% more expensive than in Zalau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Zalau is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$8.03 RON 36.50

96.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$35.03 RON 159

81.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.82 RON 26.47

79.55%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.12 RON 9.62

37.26%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.01 RON 9.13

13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.71 RON 7.79

-12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.68 RON 12.17

32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.78 RON 12.64

42.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.51 RON 6.85

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.26 RON 5.72

39.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.40 RON 6.37

21.43%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.19 RON 9.94

48.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.01 RON 36.41

65.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.01 RON 27.33

28.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$9.00 RON 40.91

75.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.88 RON 4.00

159.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.51 RON 6.87

9.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.62 RON 7.37

24.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.21 RON 10.06

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.71 RON 3.23

152.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.71 RON 3.23

191.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.71 RON 3.23

177.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.93 RON 4.22

-10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.43 RON 24.68

20.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$5.54 RON 25.19

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.04 RON 4.71

27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.29 RON 5.86

133.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.96 RON 4.38

136.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$20.10 RON 91.4

130.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.90 RON 4.09

370.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.86 RON 3.90

-1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$9.30 RON 42.26

102.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.59 RON 7.23

27.04%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$28.2K RON 128.0K

24.19%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$26.8K RON 121.9K

47.89%

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

$148 €128

$142 RON 647

3.88%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$4.51 RON 20.52

354.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$6.74 RON 30.65

486.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$36.23 RON 165

32.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$18.94 RON 86.1

-2.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.88 RON 26.74

54.76%

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

$615 €532

$432 RON 1,965

42.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$7,001 RON 31.8K

132.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$57.0 RON 259

78.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$38.70 RON 176

8.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$64.1 RON 291

44.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$70.1 RON 319

74.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$392 RON 1,783

311.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$294 RON 1,337

326.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$587 RON 2,668

423.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$430 RON 1,957

373.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,919 RON 8,724

303.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,388 RON 6,311

208.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$633 RON 2,876

153.23%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zalau: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $392 in Zalau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 153% 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 $35.00 in Zalau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $190 per month, with Zalau 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 Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zalau differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $957 including rent). Zalau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 153% 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 $392 in Zalau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $432 in Zalau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $957 in Zalau versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zalau but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zalau 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 Zalau 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 Zalau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.