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: $1,237 in Timisoara versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Timisoara versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,498 in Timisoara versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Timisoara costs roughly 45% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Timisoara is 10% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.18 RON 50.6

$17.55 €15.12

-36.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.24 RON 218

$64.5 €55.6

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 RON 41.21

$11.65 €10.04

-21.89%

Cappuccino

$3.19 RON 14.44

$3.26 €2.81

-2.15%

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

$2.16 RON 9.77

$2.49 €2.15

-13.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 RON 7.62

$1.67 €1.44

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 RON 12.31

$3.47 €2.99

-21.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 RON 20.20

$3.58 €3.08

24.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 RON 6.68

$1.18 €1.02

25.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 5.89

$1.95 €1.68

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 RON 6.36

$1.56 €1.35

-9.62%

Eggs

$2.97 RON 13.47

$4.01 €3.46

-25.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 RON 41.49

$13.27 €11.44

-30.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 RON 29.50

$8.42 €7.26

-22.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 RON 53.3

$18.23 €15.72

-35.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 RON 5.73

$2.32 €2.00

-45.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.14

$1.73 €1.49

-8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.01

$1.93 €1.67

-19.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 RON 11.18

$2.64 €2.27

-6.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.78

$1.90 €1.64

-55.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.68

$2.11 €1.82

-51.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 RON 3.10

$1.44 €1.24

-52.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.51

$0.80 €0.69

-3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 RON 29.36

$7.01 €6.04

-7.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 RON 34.88

$5.92 €5.11

30.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.45

$1.36 €1.18

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 RON 8.10

$2.15 €1.85

-16.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 RON 4.93

$2.38 €2.05

-54.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.43 RON 160

$46.22 €39.85

-23.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 RON 4.13

$4.19 €3.61

-78.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 RON 4.13

$1.10 €0.95

-17.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 RON 38.90

$17.26 €14.88

-50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 RON 8.57

$2.25 €1.94

-16.00%

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

$30.2K RON 136.7K

$34.5K €29.7K

-12.45%

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

$25.5K RON 115.7K

$41.6K €35.9K

-38.61%

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

$180 RON 813

$171 €147

5.11%

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

$6.91 RON 31.30

$19.01 €16.38

-63.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.78 RON 39.77

$34.28 €29.55

-74.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 RON 186

$49.65 €42.80

-17.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 RON 76.0

$19.51 €16.81

-13.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 RON 40.95

$10.10 €8.71

-10.50%

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

$623 RON 2,823

$699 €603

-10.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,138 RON 41.4K

$17.8K €15.3K

-48.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 RON 350

$105 €90.2

-26.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.17 RON 191

$47.97 €41.35

-12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 RON 364

$102 €87.8

-21.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 RON 425

$128 €111

-26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 RON 2,586

$1,661 €1,432

-65.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 RON 1,688

$1,228 €1,059

-69.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$856 RON 3,878

$2,915 €2,513

-70.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 RON 2,931

$2,023 €1,744

-68.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,646 RON 12.0K

$8,129 €7,007

-67.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,930 RON 8,740

$4,635 €3,996

-58.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,222 RON 5,536

$1,619 €1,396

-24.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.88

3.78

82.01%

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

Last update for Timisoara: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $571 in Timisoara and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 32% 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: $48.00 in Timisoara vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $281 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 83% in total monthly costs ($1,237 vs $2,268 including rent). Timisoara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% 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: $571 in Timisoara versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $623 in Timisoara versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,237 in Timisoara versus $2,268 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 83% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.