Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bender and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bender: $670 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Bender
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Bender Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Bender

🇲🇩 Moldova

$670

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $670 per month in Bender vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bender $670
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $969 per month in Bender vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bender $969
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $1,268 per month in Bender vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bender $1,268
Lisbon $4,319

Bender is about 70% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bender sits 50% below the global median, while Lisbon is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 MDL 114

$16.50 €14.67

-61.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.91 MDL 318

$61.3 €54.5

-70.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 MDL 102

$11.27 €10.03

-49.07%

Cappuccino

$1.23 MDL 21.90

$3.06 €2.72

-59.80%

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

$0.99 MDL 17.55

$2.26 €2.01

-56.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MDL 8.44

$1.73 €1.54

-72.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 MDL 16.00

$3.39 €3.02

-73.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MDL 30.72

$3.40 €3.02

-49.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MDL 16.30

$1.12 €1.00

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 MDL 8.94

$1.86 €1.65

-73.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MDL 25.28

$1.53 €1.36

-7.19%

Eggs

$1.93 MDL 34.35

$3.96 €3.53

-51.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 MDL 68.6

$12.76 €11.35

-69.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MDL 77.5

$7.90 €7.02

-44.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 MDL 94.8

$16.97 €15.09

-68.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.82 MDL 14.60

$2.27 €2.02

-63.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MDL 31.35

$1.75 €1.55

1.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MDL 32.98

$1.85 €1.64

0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MDL 33.03

$2.57 €2.28

-27.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.60

$1.86 €1.65

-61.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 MDL 9.11

$2.02 €1.80

-74.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 MDL 9.64

$1.44 €1.28

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MDL 14.08

$0.82 €0.73

-3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 MDL 49.13

$6.56 €5.83

-57.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.45 MDL 43.51

$5.62 €5.00

-56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MDL 9.49

$1.28 €1.14

-58.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 MDL 34.63

$2.07 €1.84

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MDL 6.67

$2.35 €2.09

-83.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 MDL 38.77

$3.99 €3.55

-45.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.78

$1.09 €0.97

-75.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 MDL 91.2

$16.64 €14.81

-69.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MDL 25.14

$2.28 €2.03

-37.72%

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

$30.0K MDL 532.3K

$33.7K €30.0K

-10.99%

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

$29.4K MDL 522.1K

$39.3K €35.0K

-25.18%

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

$238 MDL 4,228

$167 €149

42.13%

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

$9.65 MDL 171

$18.80 €16.72

-48.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.67 MDL 190

$33.09 €29.43

-67.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$8.16 MDL 145

$9.84 €8.75

-17.07%

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

$435 MDL 7,720

$677 €602

-35.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,724 MDL 101.7K

$16.9K €15.1K

-66.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.1 MDL 1,387

$101 €90.1

-22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.41 MDL 842

$45.76 €40.70

3.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 MDL 2,003

$100.0 €88.9

12.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MDL 2,027

$123 €109

-7.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$296 MDL 5,261

$1,614 €1,436

-81.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$309 MDL 5,495

$1,588 €1,412

-80.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

3.85

136.36%

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

Last update for Bender: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bender

$258 38.6%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 15.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Bender

$159 23.7%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 4.9% $7.8

Groceries & Markets

Bender

$135 20.1%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 99.8% $135

Eating Out

Bender

$97 14.5%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 149% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Bender

$16 * 2.4%

Lisbon

$66 3% 303% $49

Getting Around

Bender

$5 * 0.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 1153% $58

Accommodation & Living

Bender

- * 0%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $296 in Bender versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 413% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Bender versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $135 vs $269 – making Bender the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Bender

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

08:19 8:19 AM

2 h behind Bender

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,027

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bender Lisbon 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bender
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

Bender vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 232%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,005 per month in Bender and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bender, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Bender and $61.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bender, where all-in costs run around $670, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Bender it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bender – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bender. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.