Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Craiova and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,187 a month against $2,203 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,187

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,187 in Craiova versus $2,203 in Lisbon.

Craiova $1,187
Lisbon $2,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,763 in Craiova versus $3,237 in Lisbon.

Craiova $1,763
Lisbon $3,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,338 in Craiova versus $4,272 in Lisbon.

Craiova $2,338
Lisbon $4,272

Living in Craiova costs roughly 46% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Craiova is 11% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 RON 35.62

$17.01 €15.18

-55.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.41 RON 196

$62.7 €56.0

-33.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 RON 34.05

$11.42 €10.19

-36.95%

Cappuccino

$2.62 RON 12.40

$3.09 €2.76

-15.21%

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

$2.21 RON 10.44

$2.37 €2.11

-6.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.51

$1.66 €1.48

8.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 RON 11.14

$3.46 €3.09

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 RON 16.35

$3.29 €2.93

5.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 RON 6.26

$1.17 €1.04

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 RON 4.09

$1.87 €1.66

-53.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.54

$1.52 €1.36

-9.21%

Eggs

$3.41 RON 16.12

$3.88 €3.46

-12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 RON 33.61

$12.87 €11.49

-44.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 RON 30.57

$7.94 €7.08

-18.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 RON 53.7

$17.63 €15.73

-35.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.90

$2.26 €2.01

-53.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.82

$1.76 €1.57

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.90

$1.88 €1.68

-22.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.66

$2.47 €2.20

-25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$1.86 €1.66

-58.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 RON 4.00

$2.07 €1.85

-59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 RON 3.24

$1.39 €1.24

-50.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 RON 3.56

$0.81 €0.73

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 RON 30.08

$6.89 €6.15

-7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 RON 29.66

$5.53 €4.93

13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.66

$1.33 €1.19

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 RON 6.96

$2.17 €1.93

-32.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 RON 3.87

$2.24 €2.00

-63.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.32 RON 120

$45.14 €40.29

-43.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.04

$4.00 €3.57

-84.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.89

$1.07 €0.95

-42.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 RON 30.25

$16.53 €14.75

-61.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.09

$2.26 €2.02

-15.04%

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

$28.0K RON 132.6K

$33.5K €29.9K

-16.36%

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

$26.2K RON 124.0K

$40.5K €36.1K

-35.23%

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

$214 RON 1,011

$164 €146

30.68%

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

$9.61 RON 45.43

$18.54 €16.55

-48.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 RON 54.5

$33.21 €29.64

-65.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 RON 211

$46.01 €41.06

-3.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 RON 101

$18.80 €16.78

13.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 RON 35.30

$9.47 €8.45

-21.22%

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

$421 RON 1,992

$690 €615

-38.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,039 RON 38.0K

$16.9K €15.0K

-52.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 RON 298

$105 €93.4

-39.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 RON 241

$45.27 €40.40

12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 RON 392

$99.0 €88.3

-16.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 RON 481

$124 €111

-17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 RON 2,379

$1,583 €1,413

-68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 RON 1,851

$1,209 €1,079

-67.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 RON 4,132

$2,833 €2,528

-69.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 RON 2,845

$1,964 €1,753

-69.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,655 RON 12.6K

$7,643 €6,821

-65.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,024 RON 9,575

$4,431 €3,954

-54.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$941 RON 4,449

$1,573 €1,403

-40.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

3.79

80.47%

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

Last update for Craiova: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Craiova

$391 32.7%

Lisbon

$1.2K 54% 209% $818

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Craiova

$235 19.7%

Lisbon

$215 9.6% 8.3% $20

Groceries & Markets

Craiova

$195 16.3%

Lisbon

$272 12.1% 39.6% $77

Eating Out

Craiova

$148 12.4%

Lisbon

$247 11% 67.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Craiova

$134 11.2%

Lisbon

$168 7.5% 24.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Craiova

$59 5%

Lisbon

$65 2.9% 9.3% $5.5

Getting Around

Craiova

$32 2.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 96.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Craiova and $1,583 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% 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: $41.00 in Craiova vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $272 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Craiova

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

10:41 10:41 AM

2 h behind Craiova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,506

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Craiova Lisbon 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Craiova
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

Craiova vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 67% 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: $503 in Craiova versus $1,583 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,187 per month in Craiova versus $2,203 in Lisbon – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 78% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,187 in Craiova versus $2,203 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Craiova delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,187 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Craiova hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.