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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,006 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,518 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,029 in Zărnești.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 125% more expensive than Zărnești, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Zărnești is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$8.44 RON 38.30

88.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$39.89 RON 181

58.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$8.79 RON 39.88

18.09%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.28 RON 10.36

22.37%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$1.26 RON 5.70

85.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.12 RON 5.08

40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$2.23 RON 10.12

53.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$2.79 RON 12.65

40.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.40 RON 6.36

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.18 RON 5.36

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.58 RON 7.17

8.23%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$3.07 RON 13.94

2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$8.74 RON 39.67

56.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$4.98 RON 22.63

60.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$12.49 RON 56.7

24.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$0.99 RON 4.49

131.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.37 RON 6.21

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.39 RON 6.32

39.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.40 RON 6.34

79.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.96 RON 4.34

86.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.91 RON 4.14

120.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.80 RON 3.65

146.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.79 RON 3.58

6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$5.90 RON 26.79

15.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$7.84 RON 35.60

-27.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.03 RON 4.68

34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$1.41 RON 6.39

114.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.71 RON 3.21

219.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$20.13 RON 91.4

125.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$0.96 RON 4.34

346.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.87 RON 3.96

-2.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$7.20 RON 32.70

153.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.54 RON 7.01

29.22%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$27.5K RON 124.7K

27.58%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$28.3K RON 128.6K

39.61%

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

$146 €127

$171 RON 778

-14.69%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$8.33 RON 37.83

145.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$10.08 RON 45.77

286.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$42.12 RON 191

16.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$18.98 RON 86.2

-0.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$5.59 RON 25.37

70.30%

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

$608 €527

$434 RON 1,970

40.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$6,944 RON 31.5K

137.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$48.29 RON 219

115.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$30.48 RON 138

38.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$75.1 RON 341

22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$80.4 RON 365

49.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$382 RON 1,736

323.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$295 RON 1,339

329.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$584 RON 2,653

421.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$438 RON 1,987

358.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$2,063 RON 9,367

271.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$1,374 RON 6,238

215.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$518 RON 2,353

205.82%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $382 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 206% 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 $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 125% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,006 including rent). Zărnești is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 206% 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 $382 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $434 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 $1,006 in Zărnești versus $2,263 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 125% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.