Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brasov

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasov: $1,329 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Brasov
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Brasov Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Brasov

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Brasov

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 Brasov actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,329 in Brasov.

Lisbon $2,210
Brasov $1,329

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,100 in Brasov.

Lisbon $3,275
Brasov $2,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,872 in Brasov.

Lisbon $4,341
Brasov $2,872

Living in Lisbon is roughly 66% more expensive than in Brasov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Brasov is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$11.18 RON 53.4

48.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$51.6 RON 247

19.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$7.52 RON 35.96

51.06%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$3.56 RON 17.02

-16.57%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.47 RON 11.79

-7.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.24 RON 10.71

-22.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.10 RON 14.84

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$3.43 RON 16.39

-3.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.58 RON 7.53

-26.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.37 RON 6.57

39.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.74 RON 8.34

-13.22%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.56 RON 17.02

12.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$8.89 RON 42.46

45.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$6.71 RON 32.08

15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$12.46 RON 59.5

42.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.52 RON 7.29

51.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.56 RON 7.46

10.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.58 RON 7.57

17.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.59 RON 12.37

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$0.78 RON 3.71

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$0.86 RON 4.10

129.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.91 RON 4.36

61.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.77 RON 3.66

-6.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.03 RON 28.81

9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$7.29 RON 34.84

-23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.18 RON 5.65

15.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.87 RON 8.91

14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.02 RON 4.88

128.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$23.18 RON 111

92.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$0.64 RON 3.04

501.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.67 RON 3.22

59.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

$6.65 RON 31.76

147.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.93 RON 9.21

13.99%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$28.1K RON 134.5K

21.50%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$24.9K RON 119.1K

55.33%

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

$161 €144

$179 RON 856

-9.96%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$7.57 RON 36.18

143.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$9.32 RON 44.55

251.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$55.5 RON 265

-19.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$13.39 RON 64.0

42.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$9.42 RON 45.03

1.91%

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

$668 €598

$434 RON 2,076

53.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$6,793 RON 32.5K

159.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$52.2 RON 249

95.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$35.26 RON 168

26.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$75.5 RON 361

30.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$89.8 RON 429

37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$684 RON 3,266

135.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$492 RON 2,350

142.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$1,247 RON 5,957

125.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$1,010 RON 4,826

99.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$3,153 RON 15.1K

148.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$2,361 RON 11.3K

93.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,096 RON 5,239

43.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

7.2

-46.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Brasov: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Brasov

$492 37% 58.7% $698

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Brasov

$226 17% 17.1% $47

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Brasov

$196 14.8% 19.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Brasov

$196 14.8% 7.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Brasov

$114 8.6% 31.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Brasov

$74 5.6% 16.6% $11

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Brasov

$31 2.4% 50.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $684 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $52 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $226 per month, with Brasov cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇷🇴 Brasov

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

00:14 12:14 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

253,200

💱 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

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Between locations

Lisbon Brasov 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,329 in Brasov, so Brasov is about 40% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $684 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 $52 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,329 in Brasov – Brasov is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,329 in Brasov versus $2,210 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.