Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Braila Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Braila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,186 in Braila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,824 in Braila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,462 in Braila.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 94% more expensive than in Braila, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Braila is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$20.17 RON 92.5

-12.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$41.69 RON 191

50.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.15 RON 41.98

26.56%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.74 RON 12.59

13.14%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.18 RON 9.99

14.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.77 RON 8.14

-1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.80 RON 8.26

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.24 RON 10.29

53.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.88 RON 8.62

-38.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.48 RON 6.77

29.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.56 RON 7.14

-3.85%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.55 RON 16.30

12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.06 RON 41.58

46.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.72 RON 35.40

3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$9.99 RON 45.83

80.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.00 RON 4.60

135.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.54 RON 7.05

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.38 RON 6.35

34.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.24 RON 5.71

105.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.90 RON 4.13

104.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.78 RON 3.57

169.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.78 RON 3.59

91.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.89 RON 4.09

-7.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$6.57 RON 30.16

8.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.48 RON 29.73

-8.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.03 RON 4.74

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.64 RON 7.53

29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.69 RON 3.16

242.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$16.54 RON 75.9

181.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.08 RON 4.94

277.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.81 RON 3.73

40.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$7.18 RON 32.96

138.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.59 RON 7.28

45.28%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$27.6K RON 126.8K

23.45%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$31.0K RON 142.5K

33.26%

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

$169 €147

$146 RON 672

15.15%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$8.83 RON 40.52

118.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$13.29 RON 61.0

152.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$34.32 RON 157

42.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$15.21 RON 69.8

27.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.87 RON 36.11

21.60%

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

$696 €607

$384 RON 1,760

81.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$8,733 RON 40.1K

98.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$102 RON 470

2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$62.3 RON 286

-23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$98.0 RON 450

2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$130 RON 598

-4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$409 RON 1,877

306.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$321 RON 1,473

288.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$578 RON 2,651

413.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$474 RON 2,177

331.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,944 RON 8,921

302.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,387 RON 6,362

221.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$865 RON 3,969

88.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

8.3

-54.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Braila: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $409 in Braila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 89% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Braila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $215 per month, with Braila cheaper across the board.

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 Braila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Braila wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Braila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $409 in Braila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braila runs roughly 182% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $384 in Braila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,186 in Braila versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Braila but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Braila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Braila delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,186 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Braila hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Braila 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 Braila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.