Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,077 in Targu Mures versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in Targu Mures versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,031 in Targu Mures versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Targu Mures costs roughly 52% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Targu Mures is 20% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.54 RON 37.04

$15.73 €13.42

-45.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.00 RON 178

$63.2 €53.9

-35.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 RON 39.05

$10.32 €8.80

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$2.30 RON 9.97

$2.81 €2.40

-18.15%

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

$1.32 RON 5.71

$2.33 €1.99

-43.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 RON 5.00

$1.51 €1.29

-23.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 RON 9.24

$3.37 €2.87

-36.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 RON 12.26

$3.91 €3.34

-27.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 6.75

$1.08 €0.92

43.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.25

$1.75 €1.49

-30.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.12

$1.75 €1.50

-6.29%

Eggs

$3.07 RON 13.31

$3.10 €2.64

-0.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 RON 38.29

$13.28 €11.33

-33.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 RON 31.27

$7.85 €6.70

-8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 RON 55.1

$16.05 €13.69

-20.93%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.25

$2.39 €2.04

-59.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 RON 5.70

$1.72 €1.47

-23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 RON 6.62

$1.97 €1.68

-22.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 RON 8.45

$2.55 €2.17

-23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.04

$1.79 €1.53

-48.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.00

$1.97 €1.68

-53.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 RON 3.45

$1.96 €1.67

-59.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.48

$0.84 €0.71

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 RON 27.26

$6.82 €5.82

-7.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 RON 35.20

$5.85 €4.99

38.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 4.66

$1.38 €1.18

-22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.14

$2.92 €2.49

-43.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 RON 2.43

$2.29 €1.95

-75.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.85 RON 64.5

$46.88 €39.99

-68.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 RON 4.16

$4.12 €3.51

-76.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 RON 3.17

$0.81 €0.69

-9.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.25 RON 31.45

$18.94 €16.16

-61.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 7.00

$2.09 €1.78

-22.97%

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

$28.1K RON 121.9K

$35.1K €30.0K

-19.99%

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

$28.2K RON 122.4K

$39.7K €33.9K

-29.00%

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

$172 RON 745

$150 €128

14.84%

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

$8.68 RON 37.67

$20.49 €17.48

-57.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.64 RON 41.84

$39.15 €33.40

-75.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.95 RON 204

$49.65 €42.35

-5.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 RON 81.1

$18.47 €15.76

1.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 RON 25.72

$9.20 €7.84

-35.54%

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

$1,387 RON 6,019

$624 €533

122.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,872 RON 29.8K

$15.9K €13.6K

-56.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 RON 308

$102 €87.2

-30.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 RON 137

$40.88 €34.87

-22.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 RON 323

$95.7 €81.6

-22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 RON 355

$121 €103

-32.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 RON 1,930

$1,653 €1,410

-73.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 RON 1,354

$1,233 €1,051

-74.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 RON 2,459

$3,043 €2,596

-81.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 RON 1,788

$2,059 €1,756

-79.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,379 RON 10.3K

$7,879 €6,720

-69.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,556 RON 6,754

$4,303 €3,671

-63.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 RON 4,872

$1,566 €1,336

-28.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

3.81

114.44%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Targu Mures and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 40% 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: $41 in Targu Mures vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $270 per month, with Targu Mures 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

Targu Mures vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Mures and Lisbon differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,077 vs $2,243 including rent). Targu Mures is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 40% 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: $445 in Targu Mures versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,387 in Targu Mures versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,077 in Targu Mures versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Mures but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Mures 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, Targu Mures 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 Targu Mures gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.