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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,007 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,518 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,030 in Zărnești.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 119% more expensive than in Zărnești, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Zărnești is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$8.80 RON 40.37

78.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$40.16 RON 184

56.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$9.05 RON 41.50

16.35%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$2.31 RON 10.58

24.68%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$1.32 RON 6.04

70.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.15 RON 5.26

35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$2.21 RON 10.15

53.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$2.84 RON 13.01

37.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.35 RON 6.18

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.17 RON 5.39

47.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.63 RON 7.48

7.98%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$2.93 RON 13.43

7.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$8.89 RON 40.75

49.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$5.15 RON 23.62

52.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$12.34 RON 56.6

28.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$1.03 RON 4.71

133.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.35 RON 6.19

25.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.41 RON 6.46

43.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.36 RON 6.23

85.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.89 RON 4.09

108.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.92 RON 4.22

123.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.73 RON 3.36

173.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.78 RON 3.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$5.65 RON 25.91

17.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$7.42 RON 34.03

-22.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.08 RON 4.96

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$1.35 RON 6.21

123.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$0.66 RON 3.03

253.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$19.98 RON 91.6

127.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$0.95 RON 4.34

329.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.82 RON 3.76

-2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$7.56 RON 34.68

146.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.60 RON 7.36

25.00%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$28.4K RON 130.2K

24.62%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$27.6K RON 126.4K

41.71%

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

$150 €132

$169 RON 773

-10.93%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$7.92 RON 36.33

159.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$9.90 RON 45.39

298.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$41.70 RON 191

15.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$19.16 RON 87.8

-2.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$5.68 RON 26.04

63.73%

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

$628 €552

$422 RON 1,935

48.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$6,960 RON 31.9K

136.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$48.29 RON 221

110.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$30.50 RON 140

36.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$73.1 RON 335

26.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$79.8 RON 366

53.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$386 RON 1,769

321.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$285 RON 1,308

332.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$594 RON 2,723

426.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$440 RON 2,017

367.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$1,728 RON 7,924

349.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$1,427 RON 6,543

207.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

$525 RON 2,408

208.68%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $386 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 209% 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 $40.00 in Zărnești for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $198 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 119% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,007 including rent). Zărnești is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 209% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $386 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $422 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,007 in Zărnești versus $2,210 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 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.