Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $983 in Roman versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Roman versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,998 in Roman versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Roman costs roughly 56% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roman is 27% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.10 RON 52.7

$16.17 €13.84

-25.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.98 RON 122

$64.6 €55.3

-56.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 RON 34.44

$10.38 €8.88

-23.89%

Cappuccino

$3.51 RON 15.29

$2.77 €2.37

26.71%

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

$1.18 RON 5.13

$2.25 €1.92

-47.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 RON 9.06

$1.57 €1.35

32.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 RON 13.80

$3.49 €2.99

-9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 RON 10.10

$4.00 €3.43

-42.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.69

$1.08 €0.93

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 RON 3.91

$1.74 €1.49

-48.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 RON 6.94

$1.74 €1.49

-8.62%

Eggs

$3.13 RON 13.63

$3.18 €2.72

-1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 RON 37.83

$13.43 €11.50

-35.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 RON 31.23

$7.99 €6.84

-10.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 RON 51.0

$16.09 €13.77

-27.28%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.19

$2.28 €1.95

-57.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 RON 6.73

$1.72 €1.48

-10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.63

$1.94 €1.66

-21.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 RON 9.82

$2.54 €2.18

-11.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.68

$1.83 €1.57

-54.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.43

$2.04 €1.75

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 3.84

$1.98 €1.69

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.41

$0.85 €0.73

-8.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 RON 25.03

$6.85 €5.87

-16.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 RON 29.89

$5.78 €4.94

18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.76

$1.37 €1.18

-20.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 7.56

$2.90 €2.48

-40.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.12

$2.28 €1.95

-68.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.13 RON 87.8

$46.84 €40.10

-57.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 RON 3.07

$4.08 €3.49

-82.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.61

$0.82 €0.70

-26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 RON 29.64

$18.27 €15.64

-62.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.27

$2.01 €1.72

-16.92%

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

$28.3K RON 123.4K

$35.3K €30.2K

-19.73%

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

$27.6K RON 120.3K

$38.5K €32.9K

-28.31%

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

$93.4 RON 407

$145 €124

-35.79%

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

$3.55 RON 15.47

$20.96 €17.94

-83.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.82 RON 25.35

$40.05 €34.29

-85.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.67 RON 182

$48.79 €41.76

-14.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.16 RON 83.6

$18.69 €16.00

2.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 RON 48.47

$9.06 €7.76

22.74%

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

$327 RON 1,428

$607 €519

-46.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,466 RON 28.2K

$16.3K €14.0K

-60.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 RON 297

$105 €89.6

-34.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.31 RON 75.5

$40.95 €35.06

-57.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 RON 419

$93.6 €80.1

2.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.81 RON 152

$119 €101

-70.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 RON 1,666

$1,604 €1,373

-76.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 RON 1,268

$1,236 €1,058

-76.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 RON 2,559

$3,046 €2,607

-80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 RON 1,873

$2,057 €1,761

-79.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,672 RON 7,289

$7,709 €6,599

-78.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 RON 6,689

$4,266 €3,652

-64.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$911 RON 3,973

$1,584 €1,356

-42.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

3.81

102.10%

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

Last update for Roman: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Roman and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 74% 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: $28.00 in Roman vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $271 per month, with Roman 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

Roman vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roman and Lisbon differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($983 vs $2,227 including rent). Roman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 74% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $382 in Roman versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $327 in Roman versus $607 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 $983 in Roman versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Roman 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, Roman 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 Roman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.