Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brasov Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brasov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,254 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,956 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,657 in Brasov.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 83% more expensive than in Brasov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Brasov is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$12.42 RON 57.0

30.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$50.8 RON 233

24.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.07 RON 37.06

27.88%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.58 RON 16.42

-20.95%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.90 RON 8.74

20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.01 RON 9.25

-21.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.25 RON 14.92

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.42 RON 15.68

17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.54 RON 7.07

-29.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.29 RON 5.93

35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.81 RON 8.32

-2.76%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.36 RON 15.43

-5.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.83 RON 40.51

49.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.03 RON 32.27

13.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$11.75 RON 54.0

32.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.14 RON 5.26

107.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.66 RON 7.61

3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.55 RON 7.12

29.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.49 RON 11.41

-2.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.94 RON 4.34

87.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.06 RON 4.89

91.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.88 RON 4.02

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.79 RON 3.64

7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.85 RON 26.85

12.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.84 RON 35.98

-28.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.11 RON 5.09

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.71 RON 7.86

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.91 RON 4.16

150.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$18.69 RON 85.8

145.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.77 RON 3.53

449.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.60 RON 2.76

35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.78 RON 31.13

171.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.61 RON 7.37

29.19%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$28.1K RON 129.0K

23.37%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$27.5K RON 126.3K

42.29%

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

$148 €130

$165 RON 758

-10.35%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$8.19 RON 37.58

149.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$8.83 RON 40.53

348.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$60.0 RON 276

-20.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$15.81 RON 72.6

17.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$10.79 RON 49.54

-14.55%

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

$616 €540

$447 RON 2,053

37.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,652 RON 30.5K

147.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$68.0 RON 312

51.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$42.68 RON 196

-2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$95.6 RON 439

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$98.3 RON 451

24.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$626 RON 2,873

160.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$428 RON 1,964

188.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,029 RON 4,725

201.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$699 RON 3,208

190.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,177 RON 14.6K

146.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,402 RON 11.0K

82.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,127 RON 5,176

42.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.7

-50.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Brasov: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $626 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 43% 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 $51.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $223 per month, with Brasov 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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Brasov differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,254 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $626 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,254 in Brasov – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,254 in Brasov versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Brasov 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 Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.