Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miercurea Ciuc and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc: $735 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Miercurea Ciuc
🇷🇴 Romania
$735
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Miercurea Ciuc and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Miercurea Ciuc and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $735 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Miercurea Ciuc $735
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,172 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Miercurea Ciuc $1,172
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Miercurea Ciuc $1,609
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Miercurea Ciuc costs roughly 67% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Miercurea Ciuc is 46% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.29 RON 29.78
$16.50 €14.67
-61.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.86 RON 98.7
$61.3 €54.5
-65.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.10 RON 28.85
$11.27 €10.03
-45.87%
Cappuccino
$1.72 RON 8.14
$3.06 €2.72
-43.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 RON 7.63
$2.26 €2.01
-28.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.39 RON 6.55
$1.73 €1.54
-19.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.02 RON 9.56
$3.39 €3.02
-40.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 RON 9.18
$3.40 €3.02
-42.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 RON 6.45
$1.12 €1.00
21.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 RON 5.41
$1.86 €1.65
-38.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 RON 6.28
$1.53 €1.36
-13.07%
Eggs
$3.39 RON 16.03
$3.96 €3.53
-14.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.97 RON 37.72
$12.76 €11.35
-37.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.57 RON 21.61
$7.90 €7.02
-42.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.97 RON 37.72
$16.97 €15.09
-53.03%
Apples (1kg)
$0.71 RON 3.37
$2.27 €2.02
-68.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 RON 7.05
$1.75 €1.55
-14.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 RON 7.04
$1.85 €1.64
-19.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.48 RON 11.75
$2.57 €2.28
-3.50%
Potato (1kg)
$0.66 RON 3.10
$1.86 €1.65
-64.52%
Onion (1kg)
$0.66 RON 3.10
$2.02 €1.80
-67.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.40 RON 1.91
$1.44 €1.28
-72.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 RON 3.11
$0.82 €0.73
-19.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.08 RON 24.05
$6.56 €5.83
-22.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.18 RON 24.52
$5.62 €5.00
-7.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 RON 4.49
$1.28 €1.14
-25.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 RON 6.04
$2.07 €1.84
-38.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 RON 3.91
$2.35 €2.09
-64.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.11 RON 99.9
$44.18 €39.30
-52.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.97 RON 4.59
$3.99 €3.55
-75.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 RON 4.03
$1.09 €0.97
-22.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.57 RON 40.54
$16.64 €14.81
-48.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.68 RON 7.96
$2.28 €2.03
-26.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9K RON 117.8K
$33.7K €30.0K
-26.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6K RON 116.4K
$39.3K €35.0K
-37.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 RON 540
$167 €149
-31.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.37 RON 25.39
$18.80 €16.72
-71.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$5.08 RON 24.05
$33.09 €29.43
-84.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.21 RON 148
$46.01 €40.93
-32.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.57 RON 50.0
$19.19 €17.07
-44.92%
Cinema Ticket
$4.77 RON 22.55
$9.84 €8.75
-51.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$446 RON 2,109
$677 €602
-34.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,729 RON 31.8K
$16.9K €15.1K
-60.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.42 RON 201
$101 €90.1
-58.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.62 RON 78.6
$45.76 €40.70
-63.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.6 RON 325
$100.0 €88.9
-31.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$82.9 RON 392
$123 €109
-32.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$185 RON 878
$1,614 €1,436
-88.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$155 RON 731
$1,197 €1,065
-87.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$414 RON 1,957
$2,862 €2,545
-85.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$370 RON 1,750
$1,990 €1,770
-81.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,476 RON 6,982
$7,577 €6,740
-80.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,363 RON 6,447
$4,307 €3,831
-68.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Miercurea Ciuc
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$691 RON 3,270
$1,588 €1,412
-56.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.85
3.85
77.92%

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

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Miercurea Ciuc
$176
Lisbon
$269 53.2% $94
Accommodation & Living
Miercurea Ciuc
$155
Lisbon
$1.2K 675% $1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Miercurea Ciuc
$125
Lisbon
$219 76% $95
Eating Out
Miercurea Ciuc
$115
Lisbon
$242 110% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Miercurea Ciuc
$95
Lisbon
$166 75.6% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Miercurea Ciuc
$41
Lisbon
$66 61.2% $25
Getting Around
Miercurea Ciuc
$30
Lisbon
$63 113% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $185 in Miercurea Ciuc and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 130% 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: $21.00 in Miercurea Ciuc vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $269 per month, with Miercurea Ciuc cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
17:04 5:04 PM
15:04 3:04 PM
2 h behind Miercurea Ciuc
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,966
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Miercurea Ciuc Lisbon 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Miercurea Ciuc
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Miercurea Ciuc vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Miercurea Ciuc and in Lisbon?
Miercurea Ciuc and Lisbon differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($735 vs $2,223 including rent). Miercurea Ciuc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 130% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Miercurea Ciuc and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $185 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Miercurea Ciuc and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $446 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $735 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miercurea Ciuc but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Miercurea Ciuc the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Miercurea Ciuc and Lisbon?
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.
Is Miercurea Ciuc or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Miercurea Ciuc 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.
Where should expats move: Miercurea Ciuc or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Miercurea Ciuc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Miercurea Ciuc vs other spots: cost of living compared

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