Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $938 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Targu Mures
Learn more

Targu Mures Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$938

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Targu Mures versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Targu Mures $938
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,461 in Targu Mures versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Targu Mures $1,461
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,984 in Targu Mures versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Targu Mures $1,984
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Targu Mures costs roughly 57% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Targu Mures is 31% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 RON 43.15

$17.04 €15.15

-46.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.19 RON 200

$62.3 €55.4

-32.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 RON 37.83

$11.02 €9.80

-27.40%

Cappuccino

$2.17 RON 10.27

$3.12 €2.78

-30.45%

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

$1.44 RON 6.83

$2.27 €2.02

-36.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.74 €1.55

-29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 RON 9.04

$3.42 €3.04

-44.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 RON 10.68

$3.74 €3.33

-39.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 6.34

$1.17 €1.04

14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$1.86 €1.66

-42.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.87

$1.54 €1.37

-5.84%

Eggs

$2.88 RON 13.65

$4.06 €3.61

-29.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 RON 37.84

$12.91 €11.49

-38.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 RON 27.47

$7.90 €7.03

-26.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 RON 47.68

$17.64 €15.69

-42.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.72

$2.26 €2.01

-55.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.29

$1.75 €1.55

-24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$1.89 €1.68

-26.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$2.56 €2.27

-25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$1.85 €1.64

-58.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 RON 2.61

$1.97 €1.75

-72.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.45 €1.29

-44.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 27.61

$6.71 €5.97

-12.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 RON 34.98

$5.67 €5.04

30.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.37 €1.22

-21.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$2.11 €1.88

-26.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$2.32 €2.07

-71.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.06 RON 119

$44.43 €39.52

-43.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.14

$3.95 €3.51

-77.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$1.05 €0.93

-19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 RON 35.32

$17.15 €15.26

-56.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$2.19 €1.95

-17.35%

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

$28.1K RON 133.0K

$33.8K €30.0K

-16.80%

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

$25.3K RON 119.8K

$38.3K €34.0K

-33.83%

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

$101 RON 477

$164 €146

-38.48%

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

$9.37 RON 44.35

$18.48 €16.43

-49.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.19 RON 38.75

$32.96 €29.32

-75.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.30 RON 200

$45.87 €40.80

-7.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 RON 87.0

$18.68 €16.61

-1.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 RON 29.67

$9.75 €8.67

-35.69%

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

$1,330 RON 6,291

$684 €608

94.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 RON 248

$104 €92.3

-49.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 RON 141

$46.20 €41.09

-35.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 RON 363

$99.7 €88.7

-23.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 RON 366

$125 €111

-37.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 RON 1,964

$1,589 €1,414

-73.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,355

$1,169 €1,040

-75.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 RON 3,077

$2,851 €2,536

-77.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 RON 2,232

$1,993 €1,773

-76.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,238 RON 10.6K

$7,793 €6,932

-71.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,487 RON 7,035

$4,418 €3,930

-66.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 RON 4,687

$1,600 €1,423

-38.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

3.85

94.03%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Targu Mures

$286 30.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 308% $883

Groceries & Markets

Targu Mures

$192 20.5%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 42.3% $81

Eating Out

Targu Mures

$148 15.8%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 67.5% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Mures

$118 12.6%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 81.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Mures

$106 11.3%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 58.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Mures

$55 5.8%

Lisbon

$65 3% 19.2% $11

Getting Around

Targu Mures

$33 3.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 91.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Targu Mures and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 61% 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: $42.00 in Targu Mures vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $273 per month, with Targu Mures cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

23:46 11:46 PM

2 h behind Targu Mures

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,290

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Targu Mures Lisbon 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Targu Mures and Lisbon differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $2,202 including rent). Targu Mures is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 61% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $415 in Targu Mures versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,330 in Targu Mures versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $938 in Targu Mures versus $2,202 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 135% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.