Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Jiu and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Jiu: $966 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Targu Jiu, Romania
Lisbon, Portugal
Targu Jiu
🇷🇴 Romania
$966
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $966 in Targu Jiu versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Targu Jiu $966
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,502 in Targu Jiu versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Targu Jiu $1,502
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,038 in Targu Jiu versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Targu Jiu $2,038
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Targu Jiu costs roughly 56% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Targu Jiu is 29% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.60 RON 70.2
$16.65 €14.95
-12.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.6 RON 277
$61.7 €55.5
-6.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.24 RON 34.80
$11.36 €10.20
-36.27%
Cappuccino
$3.56 RON 17.10
$2.97 €2.67
19.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 RON 4.93
$2.29 €2.06
-55.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 RON 10.64
$1.74 €1.56
27.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.67 RON 17.66
$3.40 €3.06
7.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.23 RON 20.32
$3.31 €2.97
27.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 RON 8.03
$1.16 €1.04
43.97%
White Bread (500g)
$1.28 RON 6.17
$1.91 €1.72
-32.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 RON 8.49
$1.51 €1.36
17.22%
Eggs
$2.75 RON 13.21
$4.02 €3.61
-31.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.41 RON 35.63
$12.94 €11.62
-42.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.91 RON 13.99
$7.77 €6.98
-62.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.95 RON 33.40
$17.76 €15.95
-60.87%
Apples (1kg)
$0.91 RON 4.38
$2.30 €2.07
-60.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 RON 7.17
$1.73 €1.56
-13.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.17 RON 5.60
$1.86 €1.67
-37.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.22 RON 5.84
$2.59 €2.33
-52.90%
Potato (1kg)
$0.83 RON 3.97
$1.82 €1.64
-54.40%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 RON 3.54
$1.97 €1.77
-62.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.61 RON 2.92
$1.47 €1.32
-58.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 RON 2.40
$0.72 €0.65
-30.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.21 RON 25.02
$6.58 €5.91
-20.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.00 RON 14.42
$5.61 €5.04
-46.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 RON 3.93
$1.36 €1.22
-39.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 RON 5.16
$2.14 €1.92
-50.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.33 €2.10
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.14
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.65 RON 3.12
$3.85 €3.46
-83.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.61 RON 2.93
$1.07 €0.96
-42.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.39 RON 30.69
$16.46 €14.79
-61.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 RON 9.30
$2.20 €1.98
-12.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.8K RON 138.4K
$34.2K €30.7K
-15.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K RON 124.3K
$38.7K €34.8K
-33.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 RON 943
$161 €145
21.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.01 RON 28.87
$18.41 €16.54
-67.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.32 RON 44.78
$32.74 €29.41
-71.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.49 RON 151
$44.55 €40.02
-29.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.16
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.34 RON 40.08
$9.60 €8.62
-13.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$676 RON 3,247
$668 €600
1.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K RON 68.8K
$17.6K €15.8K
-18.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.38 RON 237
$102 €91.6
-51.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.42 RON 122
$44.46 €39.94
-42.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.7 RON 248
$98.5 €88.5
-47.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.2 RON 405
$124 €111
-31.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$353 RON 1,698
$1,608 €1,445
-78.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$233 RON 1,119
$1,190 €1,069
-80.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$478 RON 2,295
$2,812 €2,526
-83.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$403 RON 1,937
$2,013 €1,808
-79.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,555 RON 12.3K
$7,839 €7,042
-67.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,110
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Targu Jiu
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$518 RON 2,490
$1,575 €1,415
-67.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
3.85
75.32%

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

Last update for Targu Jiu: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Targu Jiu
$233
Lisbon
$1.2K 411% $957
Eating Out
Targu Jiu
$221
Lisbon
$243 9.8% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Targu Jiu
$212
Lisbon
$212 0.3% $0.7
Groceries & Markets
Targu Jiu
$154
Lisbon
$272 76.7% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Targu Jiu
$95
Lisbon
$166 75% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Targu Jiu
$48
Lisbon
$64 32.3% $16
Getting Around
Targu Jiu
$3.7 *
Lisbon
$63 1608% $60

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 $353 in Targu Jiu and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $58 in Targu Jiu vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $272 per month, with Targu Jiu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Targu Jiu
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
19:46 7:46 PM
17:46 5:46 PM
2 h behind Targu Jiu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
82,504
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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Targu Jiu Lisbon 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Targu Jiu
  • 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
Targu Jiu vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Targu Jiu and in Lisbon?
Targu Jiu and Lisbon differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($966 vs $2,210 including rent). Targu Jiu 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 67% lower in Targu Jiu. 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 Targu Jiu and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $353 in Targu Jiu versus $1,608 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 77% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Targu Jiu or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $966 per month in Targu Jiu versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $800 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Targu Jiu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Targu Jiu 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.
How do I decide between Targu Jiu and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Targu Jiu 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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