Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcea and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcea and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,040 in Tulcea versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,669 in Tulcea versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,297 in Tulcea versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Tulcea costs roughly 54% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulcea is 25% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.39 RON 55.9

$17.55 €15.09

-29.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.71 RON 220

$64.5 €55.5

-24.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 RON 36.70

$11.65 €10.01

-30.21%

Cappuccino

$2.27 RON 10.25

$3.26 €2.80

-30.37%

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

$2.19 RON 9.90

$2.49 €2.14

-12.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.11

$1.67 €1.44

-32.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 RON 10.26

$3.47 €2.99

-34.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 RON 10.18

$3.58 €3.07

-37.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.71

$1.18 €1.02

44.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 RON 4.94

$1.95 €1.67

-44.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.08

$1.56 €1.34

0.64%

Eggs

$3.27 RON 14.78

$4.01 €3.45

-18.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 RON 37.57

$13.27 €11.41

-37.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 RON 31.43

$8.42 €7.24

-17.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 RON 43.90

$18.23 €15.68

-46.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 RON 6.14

$2.32 €2.00

-41.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 RON 7.94

$1.73 €1.49

1.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 RON 6.78

$1.93 €1.66

-22.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 RON 9.18

$2.64 €2.27

-23.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.63

$1.90 €1.63

-57.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.42

$2.11 €1.82

-63.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 RON 3.21

$1.44 €1.24

-50.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.62

$0.80 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 RON 30.30

$7.01 €6.03

-4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 RON 30.60

$5.92 €5.09

14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.70

$1.36 €1.17

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 RON 6.90

$2.15 €1.85

-28.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 RON 5.14

$2.38 €2.05

-52.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 RON 86.8

$46.22 €39.74

-58.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 2.87

$4.19 €3.60

-84.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 RON 3.03

$1.10 €0.94

-39.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 RON 29.13

$17.26 €14.84

-62.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 8.04

$2.25 €1.93

-20.89%

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

$29.1K RON 131.3K

$34.5K €29.6K

-15.65%

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

$26.1K RON 118.0K

$41.6K €35.8K

-37.21%

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

$139 RON 626

$171 €147

-18.83%

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

$8.66 RON 39.11

$19.01 €16.34

-54.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.86 RON 40.00

$34.28 €29.48

-74.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.59 RON 147

$49.65 €42.69

-34.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 RON 78.9

$19.51 €16.77

-10.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 RON 39.86

$10.10 €8.68

-12.57%

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

$329 RON 1,488

$699 €601

-52.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,336 RON 15.1K

$17.8K €15.3K

-81.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 RON 248

$105 €89.9

-47.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 RON 148

$47.97 €41.24

-31.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 RON 443

$102 €87.6

-3.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 RON 452

$128 €110

-22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 RON 1,672

$1,661 €1,428

-77.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 RON 1,338

$1,228 €1,056

-75.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 RON 2,874

$2,915 €2,506

-78.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 RON 2,410

$2,023 €1,740

-73.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,053 RON 4,755

$8,129 €6,989

-87.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 RON 4,237

$4,635 €3,985

-79.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 RON 3,023

$1,619 €1,392

-58.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

3.78

81.22%

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

Last update for Tulcea: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Tulcea and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 142% 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: $49.00 in Tulcea vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $281 per month, with Tulcea 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

Tulcea vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulcea and Lisbon differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($1,040 vs $2,268 including rent). Tulcea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 142% 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: $370 in Tulcea versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Tulcea 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 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,040 in Tulcea versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tulcea but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcea 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, Tulcea 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 Tulcea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.