Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zărnești Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zărnești

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,021 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,533 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,045 in Zărnești.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than Zărnești, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Zărnești is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$8.74 RON 37.95

79.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$39.98 RON 174

57.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$9.04 RON 39.23

14.16%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.20 RON 9.56

27.73%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.32 RON 5.73

76.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.14 RON 4.95

32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.22 RON 9.65

51.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.74 RON 11.91

42.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.40 RON 6.08

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.12 RON 4.84

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.65 RON 7.14

6.06%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$3.05 RON 13.25

1.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$8.58 RON 37.25

54.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$5.21 RON 22.61

50.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$12.67 RON 55.0

26.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.03 RON 4.46

132.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.37 RON 5.94

25.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.35 RON 5.86

45.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.42 RON 6.14

79.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.96 RON 4.17

86.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.91 RON 3.97

116.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.78 RON 3.41

151.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.74 RON 3.23

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.66 RON 24.57

20.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.87 RON 34.18

-25.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.03 RON 4.46

33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.35 RON 5.84

116.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.71 RON 3.07

222.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$19.64 RON 85.2

138.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.96 RON 4.16

329.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.89 RON 3.85

-8.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$7.40 RON 32.14

155.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.53 RON 6.66

36.60%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$28.3K RON 122.7K

24.24%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$28.5K RON 123.7K

39.35%

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

$150 €128

$173 RON 752

-13.64%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$7.88 RON 34.20

160.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$10.12 RON 43.91

286.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$40.98 RON 178

21.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$19.46 RON 84.4

-5.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$5.60 RON 24.29

64.29%

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

$624 €533

$424 RON 1,841

47.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$6,918 RON 30.0K

129.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$49.26 RON 214

107.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$29.56 RON 128

38.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$73.0 RON 317

31.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$82.0 RON 356

47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$395 RON 1,716

317.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$295 RON 1,278

318.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$589 RON 2,554

417.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$446 RON 1,935

361.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,558 RON 6,762

405.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,409 RON 6,115

205.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$545 RON 2,364

187.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.17

-53.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $395 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 188% 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 in Lisbon vs $40 in Zărnești for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $200 per month, with Zărnești 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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zărnești differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,021 including rent). Zărnești is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 188% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $395 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $424 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,021 in Zărnești versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zărnești but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zărnești 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 Zărnești 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 Zărnești gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.