Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Chisinau: $1,285 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
Learn more

Chisinau Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Chisinau vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chisinau $1,285
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $1,984 per month in Chisinau vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chisinau $1,984
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $2,684 per month in Chisinau vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chisinau $2,684
Lisbon $4,319

Chisinau is about 42% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chisinau sits 5% below the global median, while Lisbon is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 MDL 201

$16.50 €14.67

-31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 MDL 906

$61.3 €54.5

-16.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 MDL 157

$11.27 €10.03

-21.47%

Cappuccino

$2.11 MDL 37.43

$3.06 €2.72

-31.05%

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

$1.19 MDL 21.13

$2.26 €2.01

-47.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MDL 16.53

$1.73 €1.54

-46.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MDL 40.03

$3.39 €3.02

-33.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 MDL 34.61

$3.40 €3.02

-42.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MDL 22.56

$1.12 €1.00

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MDL 12.88

$1.86 €1.65

-60.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MDL 24.71

$1.53 €1.36

-9.15%

Eggs

$2.82 MDL 50.1

$3.96 €3.53

-28.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 MDL 169

$12.76 €11.35

-25.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 MDL 90.1

$7.90 €7.02

-35.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MDL 154

$16.97 €15.09

-49.03%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 MDL 16.72

$2.27 €2.02

-58.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MDL 33.83

$1.75 €1.55

9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MDL 37.42

$1.85 €1.64

14.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MDL 38.28

$2.57 €2.28

-15.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 MDL 12.07

$1.86 €1.65

-63.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.00

$2.02 €1.80

-72.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MDL 22.95

$1.44 €1.28

-10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MDL 14.76

$0.82 €0.73

1.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 60.2

$6.56 €5.83

-48.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 MDL 83.0

$5.62 €5.00

-16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MDL 22.44

$1.28 €1.14

-1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 34.83

$2.07 €1.84

-5.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MDL 7.16

$2.35 €2.09

-82.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.50 MDL 240

$44.18 €39.30

-69.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MDL 40.61

$3.99 €3.55

-42.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MDL 5.83

$1.09 €0.97

-69.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 MDL 90.8

$16.64 €14.81

-69.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 MDL 29.20

$2.28 €2.03

-28.07%

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

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

$33.7K €30.0K

-12.28%

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

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

$39.3K €35.0K

-24.47%

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

$239 MDL 4,245

$167 €149

42.72%

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

$9.40 MDL 167

$18.80 €16.72

-50.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 MDL 185

$33.09 €29.43

-68.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 MDL 750

$46.01 €40.93

-8.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.30 MDL 361

$19.19 €17.07

5.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 MDL 152

$9.84 €8.75

-13.11%

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

$425 MDL 7,543

$677 €602

-37.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

$16.9K €15.1K

-65.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 MDL 1,434

$101 €90.1

-20.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 MDL 845

$45.76 €40.70

4.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MDL 2,056

$100.0 €88.9

15.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 2,011

$123 €109

-7.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 MDL 12.0K

$1,614 €1,436

-58.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MDL 7,651

$1,197 €1,065

-64.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

$2,862 €2,545

-56.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 MDL 15.0K

$1,990 €1,770

-57.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

$7,577 €6,740

-64.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

$4,307 €3,831

-55.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MDL 15.4K

$1,588 €1,412

-45.44%

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 Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$431 33.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 178% $766

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$259 20.2%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 15.3% $39

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$190 14.8%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 41.9% $80

Eating Out

Chisinau

$166 12.9%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 45.9% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$161 12.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 3.5% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$59 4.6%

Lisbon

$66 3% 10.8% $6.4

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 231% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $676 in Chisinau 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 83% 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 $51.0 in Chisinau versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $269 – making Chisinau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

05:18 5:18 AM

2 h behind Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

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

Chisinau Lisbon 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chisinau
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

Chisinau vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Chisinau 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 Chisinau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chisinau and $61.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chisinau, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Chisinau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chisinau – 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 Chisinau. 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.