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: $980 in Tulcea versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,496 in Tulcea versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,012 in Tulcea versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Tulcea costs roughly 56% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulcea is 27% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 RON 43.30

$15.73 €13.42

-36.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.04 RON 182

$63.2 €53.9

-33.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 RON 34.91

$10.32 €8.80

-22.09%

Cappuccino

$2.67 RON 11.58

$2.81 €2.40

-4.98%

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

$1.99 RON 8.66

$2.33 €1.99

-14.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 RON 8.35

$1.51 €1.29

27.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 RON 10.10

$3.37 €2.87

-30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 RON 14.82

$3.91 €3.34

-12.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 5.82

$1.08 €0.92

24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 RON 4.56

$1.75 €1.49

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 RON 7.64

$1.75 €1.50

0.57%

Eggs

$2.29 RON 9.94

$3.10 €2.64

-26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 RON 37.54

$13.28 €11.33

-34.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 RON 31.30

$7.85 €6.70

-8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.14 RON 39.67

$16.05 €13.69

-43.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.31

$2.39 €2.04

-48.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.14

$1.72 €1.47

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 RON 5.60

$1.97 €1.68

-34.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 RON 8.62

$2.55 €2.17

-21.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.46

$1.79 €1.53

-55.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.08

$1.97 €1.68

-52.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 RON 3.02

$1.96 €1.67

-64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.77

$0.84 €0.71

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 RON 24.52

$6.82 €5.82

-17.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 RON 30.19

$5.85 €4.99

18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 3.99

$1.38 €1.18

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 RON 6.13

$2.92 €2.49

-51.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.07

$2.29 €1.95

-69.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.81 RON 116

$46.88 €39.99

-42.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.12

$4.12 €3.51

-82.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 2.80

$0.81 €0.69

-20.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 RON 24.31

$18.94 €16.16

-70.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 RON 6.98

$2.09 €1.78

-22.97%

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

$25.1K RON 108.9K

$35.1K €30.0K

-28.56%

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

$27.5K RON 119.5K

$39.7K €33.9K

-30.66%

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

$92.4 RON 401

$150 €128

-38.19%

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

$7.88 RON 34.20

$20.49 €17.48

-61.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.92 RON 43.05

$39.15 €33.40

-74.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.81 RON 116

$49.65 €42.35

-46.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 RON 82.6

$18.47 €15.76

3.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 RON 30.49

$9.20 €7.84

-23.59%

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

$434 RON 1,882

$624 €533

-30.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,053 RON 30.6K

$15.9K €13.6K

-55.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 RON 354

$102 €87.2

-20.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.18 RON 187

$40.88 €34.87

5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 RON 318

$95.7 €81.6

-23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.6 RON 424

$121 €103

-19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 RON 1,681

$1,653 €1,410

-76.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 RON 1,256

$1,233 €1,051

-76.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 RON 2,576

$3,043 €2,596

-80.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 RON 1,896

$2,059 €1,756

-78.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,409 RON 6,113

$7,879 €6,720

-82.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 RON 5,157

$4,303 €3,671

-72.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 RON 2,944

$1,566 €1,336

-56.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.81

70.60%

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

Last update for Tulcea: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Tulcea and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 131% 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 in Tulcea vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $270 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 129% in total monthly costs ($980 vs $2,243 including rent). Tulcea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 131% 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: $387 in Tulcea versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $434 in Tulcea 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 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $980 in Tulcea versus $2,243 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 129% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.