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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $958 in Zalau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,442 in Zalau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,925 in Zalau.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 136% more expensive than Zalau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Zalau is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$8.12 RON 36.74

96.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$34.00 RON 154

86.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$5.69 RON 25.72

82.43%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.08 RON 9.41

34.13%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.07 RON 9.37

13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.73 RON 7.85

-9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.78 RON 12.60

23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.80 RON 12.64

39.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.51 RON 6.84

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.25 RON 5.67

41.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.35 RON 6.13

26.67%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.23 RON 10.07

41.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$7.88 RON 35.63

73.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.18 RON 27.97

29.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$8.59 RON 38.84

80.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$0.96 RON 4.36

138.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.52 RON 6.89

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.58 RON 7.17

22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.14 RON 9.67

17.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.67 RON 3.04

167.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.71 RON 3.20

183.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.66 RON 2.99

198.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.91 RON 4.13

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.52 RON 24.95

23.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$5.35 RON 24.22

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.04 RON 4.68

33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.30 RON 5.88

132.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.94 RON 4.25

141.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$19.41 RON 87.8

134.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.97 RON 4.37

342.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.79 RON 3.57

7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$9.12 RON 41.26

100.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.60 RON 7.22

24.37%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$27.7K RON 125.1K

26.67%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$26.8K RON 121.4K

47.41%

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

$146 €126

$143 RON 645

2.53%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$4.54 RON 20.53

350.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$7.11 RON 32.16

448.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$35.50 RON 161

37.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$19.54 RON 88.4

-3.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.64 RON 25.51

68.79%

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

$608 €524

$423 RON 1,912

43.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$6,962 RON 31.5K

137.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$57.1 RON 258

81.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$38.03 RON 172

10.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$62.4 RON 282

47.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$68.6 RON 310

75.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$395 RON 1,788

310.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$294 RON 1,329

331.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$598 RON 2,703

410.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$432 RON 1,956

364.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,961 RON 8,872

290.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,385 RON 6,265

212.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$649 RON 2,936

144.21%

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 Zalau: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $395 in Zalau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 144% 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 Zalau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $189 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 136% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $958 including rent). Zalau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 144% 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 $395 in Zalau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $423 in Zalau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Zalau versus $2,263 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 136% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.