Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sighisoara and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sighisoara: $937 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sighisoara, Romania
Lisbon, Portugal
Sighisoara
🇷🇴 Romania
$937
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $937 in Sighisoara versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

  • Sighisoara $937
  • Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Sighisoara versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

  • Sighisoara $1,501
  • Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,065 in Sighisoara versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Sighisoara $2,065
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Sighisoara costs roughly 58% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sighisoara is 31% below, Lisbon is 63% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.66 RON 50.7
$16.86 €15.00
-36.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.06 RON 171
$61.0 €54.3
-40.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.42 RON 40.04
$10.98 €9.77
-23.32%
Cappuccino
$2.13 RON 10.14
$3.05 €2.71
-30.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 RON 10.28
$2.28 €2.03
-5.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 RON 10.56
$1.68 €1.50
32.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.06 RON 9.77
$3.44 €3.06
-40.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 RON 13.28
$3.91 €3.48
-28.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 RON 6.83
$1.15 €1.02
25.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 RON 5.69
$1.89 €1.68
-36.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 RON 7.16
$1.50 €1.34
0.67%
Eggs
$3.33 RON 15.81
$4.12 €3.66
-19.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.31 RON 34.76
$13.01 €11.57
-43.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.13 RON 33.87
$8.04 €7.16
-11.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.14 RON 33.94
$17.89 €15.92
-60.09%
Apples (1kg)
$1.07 RON 5.08
$2.27 €2.02
-52.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.76
$1.74 €1.55
-6.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 RON 8.61
$1.82 €1.62
-0.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 RON 10.79
$2.69 €2.39
-15.61%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 RON 3.31
$1.77 €1.57
-60.45%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 RON 4.53
$1.94 €1.72
-51.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 RON 4.31
$1.46 €1.30
-37.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 RON 4.92
$0.76 €0.68
36.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.21 RON 24.75
$6.66 €5.92
-21.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.52 RON 35.75
$5.64 €5.02
33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 RON 6.00
$1.29 €1.15
-2.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 RON 7.96
$2.14 €1.90
-21.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 RON 2.87
$2.30 €2.05
-73.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.02 €39.17
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 RON 3.93
$3.98 €3.54
-79.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 RON 3.90
$0.64 €0.57
28.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.29 RON 39.39
$18.93 €16.84
-56.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 RON 7.76
$2.28 €2.03
-28.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.8K RON 137.1K
$33.4K €29.7K
-13.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K RON 118.8K
$38.5K €34.3K
-35.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$59.7 RON 284
$158 €141
-62.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.32 RON 39.55
$17.54 €15.61
-52.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.50 RON 40.42
$31.18 €27.75
-72.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.3 RON 253
$44.64 €39.73
19.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.98 €16.89
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.42 RON 44.76
$9.58 €8.52
-1.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$577 RON 2,744
$674 €599
-14.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K RON 58.1K
$18.7K €16.7K
-34.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 RON 426
$102 €90.9
-12.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.09 RON 214
$45.90 €40.85
-1.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.1 RON 471
$102 €91.0
-3.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 RON 501
$122 €109
-13.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$319 RON 1,516
$1,641 €1,460
-80.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$255 RON 1,213
$1,187 €1,057
-78.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$517 RON 2,457
$2,825 €2,514
-81.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$492 RON 2,337
$2,018 €1,796
-75.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,576 RON 7,492
$7,836 €6,973
-79.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,064 RON 5,056
$4,701 €4,183
-77.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sighisoara
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$589 RON 2,799
$1,687 €1,501
-65.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.65
3.82
74.08%

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

Last update for Sighisoara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sighisoara
$255
Lisbon
$1.2K 365% $932
Groceries & Markets
Sighisoara
$203
Lisbon
$275 35.1% $71
Eating Out
Sighisoara
$170
Lisbon
$245 44.6% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Sighisoara
$153
Lisbon
$168 9.7% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sighisoara
$77
Lisbon
$207 170% $130
Sport & Entertainment
Sighisoara
$72
Lisbon
$64 11.5% $8.3
Getting Around
Sighisoara
$7.3 *
Lisbon
$60 723% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Sighisoara and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Sighisoara vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $275 per month, with Sighisoara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Sighisoara
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:19 6:19 AM
04:19 4:19 AM
2 h behind Sighisoara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,570
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sighisoara Lisbon 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sighisoara
  • 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
Sighisoara vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sighisoara and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $937 in Sighisoara and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Sighisoara is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Sighisoara. 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 Sighisoara and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $319 in Sighisoara versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sighisoara or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $937 per month in Sighisoara versus $2,206 in Lisbon – Sighisoara is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $937 in Sighisoara versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sighisoara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sighisoara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sighisoara 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 Sighisoara or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sighisoara and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Sighisoara and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Sighisoara wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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