Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bistrita and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bistrita: $849 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Bistrita
Learn more

Bistrita Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Bistrita

🇷🇴 Romania

$849

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $849 per month in Bistrita vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bistrita $849
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,284 per month in Bistrita vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bistrita $1,284
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,720 per month in Bistrita vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bistrita $1,720
Lisbon $4,341

Bistrita is about 62% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bistrita sits 38% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.29 RON 30.05

$16.65 €14.91

-62.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.15 RON 149

$61.7 €55.3

-49.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 RON 30.09

$11.36 €10.17

-44.54%

Cappuccino

$2.22 RON 10.61

$2.97 €2.66

-25.25%

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

$1.63 RON 7.79

$2.29 €2.05

-28.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 6.47

$1.74 €1.56

-22.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 RON 9.83

$3.40 €3.05

-39.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 RON 15.13

$3.31 €2.96

-4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 RON 5.86

$1.16 €1.04

6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 RON 5.03

$1.91 €1.71

-45.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.97

$1.51 €1.35

-31.13%

Eggs

$2.57 RON 12.30

$4.02 €3.60

-36.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 RON 29.69

$12.94 €11.59

-52.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 RON 28.64

$7.77 €6.96

-22.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 RON 52.7

$17.76 €15.91

-37.89%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 RON 4.17

$2.30 €2.06

-62.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.90

$1.73 €1.55

-16.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.41

$1.86 €1.66

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 RON 9.66

$2.59 €2.32

-22.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.63

$1.82 €1.63

-58.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 RON 3.07

$1.97 €1.76

-67.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.92

$1.47 €1.32

-29.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 RON 2.99

$0.72 €0.65

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 RON 25.64

$6.58 €5.90

-18.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 RON 25.73

$5.61 €5.02

-4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.34

$1.36 €1.22

-33.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.12

$2.14 €1.91

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 RON 2.09

$2.33 €2.09

-81.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.03 RON 101

$44.68 €40.01

-52.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 RON 3.32

$3.85 €3.45

-82.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 RON 3.55

$1.07 €0.96

-30.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 RON 35.13

$16.46 €14.74

-55.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 7.35

$2.20 €1.97

-30.00%

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

$27.3K RON 130.6K

$34.2K €30.6K

-20.07%

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

$24.1K RON 115.2K

$38.7K €34.7K

-37.76%

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

$175 RON 835

$161 €144

8.42%

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

$5.75 RON 27.46

$18.41 €16.49

-68.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.00 RON 28.67

$32.74 €29.32

-81.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.70 RON 190

$44.55 €39.90

-10.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.80 RON 147

$19.10 €17.10

61.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 RON 29.59

$9.60 €8.60

-35.52%

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

$305 RON 1,457

$668 €598

-54.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,850 RON 42.3K

$17.6K €15.8K

-49.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.24 RON 178

$102 €91.4

-63.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.70 RON 128

$44.46 €39.82

-39.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 RON 301

$98.5 €88.2

-36.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 RON 354

$124 €111

-40.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 RON 1,037

$1,608 €1,440

-86.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 RON 894

$1,190 €1,066

-84.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 RON 1,876

$2,812 €2,519

-86.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 RON 1,478

$2,013 €1,803

-84.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,477 RON 7,060

$7,839 €7,021

-81.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 RON 5,517

$4,576 €4,098

-74.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$985 RON 4,709

$1,575 €1,411

-37.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

3.85

74.81%

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

Last update for Bistrita: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bistrita

$187 22%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 536% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bistrita

$187 22%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 13.8% $26

Groceries & Markets

Bistrita

$181 21.3%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 50.5% $91

Eating Out

Bistrita

$124 14.7%

Lisbon

$243 11% 95% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Bistrita

$91 10.7%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 83.3% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Bistrita

$52 6.1%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 22.4% $12

Getting Around

Bistrita

$27 3.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 132% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $217 in Bistrita versus $1,608 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 60% 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 $31 in Bistrita versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $272 – making Bistrita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bistrita

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

2 h behind Bistrita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,076

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bistrita Lisbon 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bistrita
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

Bistrita vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 160% more than Bistrita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,273 per month in Bistrita and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bistrita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $217 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Bistrita and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $849 in Bistrita and $2,210 in Lisbon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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