Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
Learn more

Bacau Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bacau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Bacau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $916 in Bacau, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Bacau $916

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,552 in Bacau, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Bacau $1,552

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $2,189 in Bacau, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Bacau $2,189

Lisbon costs about 141% more than Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Bacau is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$14.19 RON 67.9

17.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$84.6 RON 405

-27.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$7.24 RON 34.64

56.91%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.04 RON 9.77

45.59%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.01 RON 9.60

13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.87 RON 8.94

-6.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$2.47 RON 11.82

37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$3.34 RON 15.96

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.18 RON 5.66

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$0.70 RON 3.34

172.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.69 RON 8.08

-10.65%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.47 RON 16.59

15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$7.68 RON 36.75

68.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$5.33 RON 25.50

45.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$8.30 RON 39.70

113.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.10 RON 5.24

109.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.48 RON 7.08

16.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.49 RON 7.11

24.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.83 RON 8.76

41.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$0.72 RON 3.47

152.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$0.68 RON 3.27

189.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.75 RON 3.57

96.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.72 RON 3.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$5.35 RON 25.59

22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$5.25 RON 25.13

6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.02 RON 4.88

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.17 RON 5.62

82.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$0.70 RON 3.34

232.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$29.15 RON 139

53.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$0.61 RON 2.92

531.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.65 RON 3.10

64.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$6.72 RON 32.17

144.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.78 RON 8.51

23.60%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$28.9K RON 138.2K

18.32%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$24.8K RON 118.9K

55.89%

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

$161 €144

$106 RON 507

52.15%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$7.47 RON 35.74

146.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$4.63 RON 22.15

607.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$25.29 RON 121

76.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$15.98 RON 76.5

19.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$6.09 RON 29.12

57.64%

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

$668 €598

$589 RON 2,817

13.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$4,986 RON 23.9K

253.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$85.0 RON 407

20.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$31.98 RON 153

39.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$60.3 RON 288

63.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$83.2 RON 398

48.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$416 RON 1,991

286.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$236 RON 1,130

403.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$549 RON 2,624

412.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$405 RON 1,937

397.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$1,805 RON 8,634

334.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$1,229 RON 5,879

272.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$936 RON 4,480

68.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.97

-44.76%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Bacau

$236 25.8% 80.2% $954

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Bacau

$177 19.3% 35.2% $96

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Bacau

$194 21.2% 19.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Bacau

$118 12.9% 44.4% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Bacau

$117 12.8% 29.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Bacau

$37 4.1% 41.2% $26

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Bacau

$36 3.9% 43.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $416 in Bacau. 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 68% 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 $62 in Lisbon versus $85 in Bacau. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $177 in Bacau – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

144,307

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Bacau 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Bacau

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

Lisbon vs Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 141%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,373 in Bacau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $85 in Bacau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $916 in Bacau. That makes Bacau about 59% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Bacau – 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 Bacau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.