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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $949 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,486 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,022 in Zărnești.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 139% more expensive than in Zărnești, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Zărnești is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$9.10 RON 41.08

92.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$44.58 RON 201

44.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$8.83 RON 39.86

31.94%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.32 RON 10.50

40.52%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.54 RON 6.95

61.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.26 RON 5.68

32.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.00 RON 9.04

73.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$2.45 RON 11.07

46.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.30 RON 5.85

-9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.12 RON 5.08

74.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.48 RON 6.69

5.41%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$2.98 RON 13.43

34.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$8.42 RON 38.02

57.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.96 RON 22.41

69.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$10.64 RON 48.04

71.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.01 RON 4.55

129.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.33 RON 6.02

30.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.31 RON 5.89

47.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.32 RON 5.95

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.80 RON 3.61

137.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.53 RON 2.40

298.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.90 RON 4.07

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.74 RON 3.34

8.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$5.59 RON 25.23

25.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$7.82 RON 35.32

-24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.09 RON 4.94

24.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.36 RON 6.12

58.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.73 RON 3.30

226.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$22.44 RON 101

105.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.93 RON 4.20

350.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.85 RON 3.84

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$7.76 RON 35.03

122.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.51 RON 6.80

49.01%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$29.5K RON 133.0K

17.00%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$27.2K RON 122.7K

53.18%

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

$171 €147

$106 RON 481

60.47%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$9.87 RON 44.57

92.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$8.57 RON 38.68

300.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$39.96 RON 180

24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$21.97 RON 99.2

-11.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$6.72 RON 30.33

50.30%

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

$699 €601

$454 RON 2,051

53.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$8,146 RON 36.8K

118.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$46.24 RON 209

126.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$28.75 RON 130

66.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$70.9 RON 320

43.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$80.8 RON 365

58.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$397 RON 1,792

318.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$312 RON 1,410

293.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$651 RON 2,939

347.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$534 RON 2,411

278.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$1,993 RON 9,000

307.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,386 RON 6,258

234.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$526 RON 2,375

207.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.47

-49.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $397 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 208% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Zărnești for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $189 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 139% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $949 including rent). Zărnești is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 208% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $397 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $454 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $949 in Zărnești versus $2,268 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 139% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.