Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,122 in Timisoara versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,773 in Timisoara versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,424 in Timisoara versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Timisoara costs roughly 50% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Timisoara is 17% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 RON 40.96

$15.94 €13.73

-43.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 RON 265

$63.4 €54.6

-7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 RON 37.47

$10.38 €8.95

-20.23%

Cappuccino

$3.28 RON 14.82

$2.79 €2.40

17.56%

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

$2.26 RON 10.21

$2.34 €2.01

-3.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 RON 9.17

$1.57 €1.35

29.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 RON 12.78

$3.43 €2.95

-17.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 RON 15.39

$3.91 €3.37

-13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 6.86

$1.08 €0.93

40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.91

$1.77 €1.52

-25.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 RON 6.70

$1.71 €1.47

-13.45%

Eggs

$3.25 RON 14.70

$3.15 €2.71

3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 RON 43.56

$13.68 €11.79

-29.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 RON 30.02

$8.01 €6.90

-17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 RON 52.3

$15.52 €13.37

-25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 RON 4.92

$2.29 €1.98

-52.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.03

$1.64 €1.41

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.30

$1.94 €1.67

-17.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 RON 11.10

$2.51 €2.17

-2.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 RON 3.30

$1.79 €1.54

-59.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.59

$2.01 €1.73

-49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 RON 3.30

$1.97 €1.69

-62.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 RON 3.30

$0.84 €0.73

-13.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 RON 26.06

$6.79 €5.85

-15.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 RON 35.23

$5.67 €4.89

37.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.41

$1.39 €1.20

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 RON 7.61

$3.02 €2.60

-44.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 RON 4.08

$2.27 €1.95

-60.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.98 RON 136

$45.44 €39.15

-34.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 RON 4.07

$4.29 €3.70

-79.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 3.83

$0.85 €0.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 RON 33.25

$18.28 €15.75

-59.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.42

$1.99 €1.71

-17.59%

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

$27.9K RON 126.3K

$35.0K €30.2K

-20.33%

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

$26.0K RON 117.8K

$39.5K €34.1K

-34.16%

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

$140 RON 631

$146 €126

-4.53%

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

$8.54 RON 38.62

$20.45 €17.62

-58.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.01 RON 40.78

$38.98 €33.58

-76.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.38 RON 196

$48.98 €42.21

-11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 RON 68.0

$18.83 €16.22

-20.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 RON 37.49

$9.52 €8.21

-12.92%

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

$506 RON 2,287

$608 €524

-16.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K RON 45.8K

$16.5K €14.2K

-38.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 RON 347

$104 €89.5

-26.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 RON 193

$42.12 €36.29

1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 RON 373

$92.2 €79.5

-10.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 RON 436

$120 €103

-19.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 RON 2,247

$1,621 €1,397

-69.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 RON 1,629

$1,268 €1,092

-71.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,299

$3,048 €2,626

-76.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 RON 2,650

$2,009 €1,731

-70.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,722 RON 12.3K

$7,663 €6,602

-64.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,009 RON 9,086

$4,329 €3,730

-53.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RON 5,554

$1,585 €1,366

-22.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

3.81

74.80%

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

Last update for Timisoara: June 9, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $497 in Timisoara and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 29% 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: $58.0 in Timisoara vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $269 per month, with Timisoara 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

Timisoara vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timisoara and Lisbon differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,122 vs $2,263 including rent). Timisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 29% 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: $497 in Timisoara versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $506 in Timisoara versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,122 in Timisoara versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timisoara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Timisoara 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, Timisoara 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 Timisoara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.