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: $1,037 in Mamaia versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,555 in Mamaia versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,073 in Mamaia versus $4,307 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 22% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.05 RON 45.90

$15.75 €13.74

-36.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.29 RON 207

$63.5 €55.3

-28.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 RON 34.83

$10.45 €9.11

-26.99%

Cappuccino

$2.56 RON 11.71

$2.91 €2.54

-12.03%

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

$1.91 RON 8.74

$2.29 €2.00

-16.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 7.93

$1.50 €1.31

16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 RON 10.45

$3.56 €3.11

-35.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 RON 12.90

$3.96 €3.46

-28.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 6.93

$1.08 €0.94

40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 RON 5.76

$1.76 €1.54

-28.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.42

$1.70 €1.48

-4.71%

Eggs

$3.30 RON 15.09

$3.25 €2.83

1.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 RON 38.62

$13.25 €11.55

-36.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 RON 31.10

$7.70 €6.72

-11.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 RON 45.49

$15.77 €13.75

-36.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.44

$2.28 €1.99

-47.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.02

$1.66 €1.44

-7.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.13

$2.02 €1.76

-22.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 RON 10.06

$2.47 €2.16

-10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.01

$1.79 €1.56

-50.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.26

$2.07 €1.80

-55.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.11

$1.97 €1.72

-54.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 RON 3.81

$0.83 €0.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 RON 27.29

$6.55 €5.71

-8.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 RON 28.08

$5.57 €4.85

10.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.62

$1.33 €1.16

-24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.38

$3.01 €2.62

-46.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.25

$2.27 €1.98

-68.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.81 RON 90.5

$46.35 €40.41

-57.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.29

$4.23 €3.69

-82.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 RON 3.28

$0.85 €0.74

-15.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.83 RON 31.18

$18.83 €16.41

-63.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 7.02

$2.02 €1.76

-23.76%

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

$28.4K RON 129.9K

$35.0K €30.5K

-18.64%

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

$27.0K RON 123.4K

$39.6K €34.6K

-31.84%

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

$145 RON 662

$148 €129

-2.05%

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

$7.94 RON 36.27

$20.52 €17.89

-61.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.23 RON 42.15

$39.52 €34.46

-76.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.76 RON 191

$48.17 €42.00

-13.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.30 RON 88.1

$18.39 €16.03

4.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 RON 30.79

$9.10 €7.93

-25.93%

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

$432 RON 1,974

$615 €536

-29.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,919 RON 31.6K

$16.3K €14.2K

-57.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 RON 315

$102 €88.6

-32.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 RON 184

$42.09 €36.69

-4.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 RON 344

$92.3 €80.5

-18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 RON 434

$122 €106

-22.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 RON 1,761

$1,612 €1,405

-76.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,308

$1,254 €1,093

-77.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 RON 2,631

$3,069 €2,676

-81.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 RON 1,962

$2,037 €1,776

-78.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,920 RON 8,767

$7,751 €6,757

-75.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,473 RON 6,725

$4,286 €3,737

-65.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $386 in Mamaia and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Mamaia vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $267 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 120% in total monthly costs ($1,037 vs $2,280 including rent). Mamaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,555 in Mamaia and $3,420 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: $386 in Mamaia versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mamaia versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,037 in Mamaia versus $2,280 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 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.