Cost of Living Comparison Between Mamaia and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mamaia and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,015 in Mamaia versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,555 in Mamaia versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,096 in Mamaia versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Mamaia costs roughly 55% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 RON 44.15

$15.94 €13.73

-38.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.49 RON 210

$63.4 €54.6

-26.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 RON 36.01

$10.38 €8.95

-23.31%

Cappuccino

$2.66 RON 12.03

$2.79 €2.40

-4.66%

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

$1.93 RON 8.73

$2.34 €2.01

-17.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.72

$1.57 €1.35

8.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 RON 10.28

$3.43 €2.95

-33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 RON 12.59

$3.91 €3.37

-28.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 6.95

$1.08 €0.93

42.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 RON 5.68

$1.77 €1.52

-28.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.73

$1.71 €1.47

Eggs

$3.21 RON 14.53

$3.15 €2.71

1.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 RON 37.77

$13.68 €11.79

-38.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 RON 30.26

$8.01 €6.90

-16.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 RON 44.83

$15.52 €13.37

-36.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 RON 5.20

$2.29 €1.98

-49.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.17

$1.64 €1.41

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.03

$1.94 €1.67

-20.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 RON 9.69

$2.51 €2.17

-14.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 RON 3.92

$1.79 €1.54

-51.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 3.99

$2.01 €1.73

-56.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 RON 4.21

$1.97 €1.69

-52.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RON 3.82

$0.84 €0.73

1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 RON 27.31

$6.79 €5.85

-11.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 RON 28.08

$5.67 €4.89

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 4.83

$1.39 €1.20

-23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.40

$3.02 €2.60

-45.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 RON 3.07

$2.27 €1.95

-70.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.56 RON 88.5

$45.44 €39.15

-56.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 RON 3.23

$4.29 €3.70

-83.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 RON 3.39

$0.85 €0.73

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 RON 30.63

$18.28 €15.75

-62.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 7.08

$1.99 €1.71

-21.11%

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

$28.4K RON 128.5K

$35.0K €30.2K

-18.94%

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

$27.5K RON 124.6K

$39.5K €34.1K

-30.34%

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

$146 RON 662

$146 €126

0.18%

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

$8.19 RON 37.05

$20.45 €17.62

-59.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.91 RON 40.29

$38.98 €33.58

-77.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 RON 189

$48.98 €42.21

-14.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 RON 86.0

$18.83 €16.22

0.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 RON 31.52

$9.52 €8.21

-26.79%

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

$422 RON 1,909

$608 €524

-30.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,856 RON 31.0K

$16.5K €14.2K

-58.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 RON 310

$104 €89.5

-34.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 RON 183

$42.12 €36.29

-4.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 RON 338

$92.2 €79.5

-18.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 RON 431

$120 €103

-20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 RON 1,770

$1,621 €1,397

-75.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 RON 1,313

$1,268 €1,092

-77.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 RON 2,637

$3,048 €2,626

-80.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 RON 1,986

$2,009 €1,731

-78.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,872 RON 8,466

$7,663 €6,602

-75.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,515 RON 6,851

$4,329 €3,730

-65.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.81

70.60%

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

Last update for Mamaia: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Mamaia and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Mamaia vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $269 per month, with Mamaia 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

Mamaia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mamaia and Lisbon differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($1,015 vs $2,263 including rent). Mamaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,522 in Mamaia and $3,394 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $391 in Mamaia versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Mamaia versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,015 in Mamaia versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mamaia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mamaia 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, Mamaia and Lisbon 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 Mamaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.