Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bucharest Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bucharest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,362 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,133 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,903 in Bucharest.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 68% more expensive than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Bucharest 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$14.09 RON 64.7

14.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$68.8 RON 316

-7.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.08 RON 37.07

27.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.39 RON 15.56

-16.52%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.24 RON 10.29

2.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.42 RON 11.10

-34.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.38 RON 15.53

0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.83 RON 17.58

5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.72 RON 7.89

-36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.35 RON 6.20

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.83 RON 8.42

-3.83%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.65 RON 16.74

-13.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.23 RON 42.35

42.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.85 RON 31.46

16.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$12.03 RON 55.2

29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.34 RON 6.15

76.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.72 RON 7.90

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.82 RON 8.34

10.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.39 RON 10.98

1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.04 RON 4.78

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.02 RON 4.68

99.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.98 RON 4.49

95.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.95 RON 4.34

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.40 RON 29.36

2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.50 RON 29.84

-14.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.24 RON 5.69

7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.93 RON 8.87

53.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.14 RON 5.22

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$19.82 RON 91.0

131.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.71 RON 3.28

495.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.65 RON 3.00

24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.93 RON 31.82

166.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.66 RON 7.60

25.30%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$29.0K RON 132.9K

19.74%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$30.1K RON 138.0K

30.22%

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

$148 €130

$183 RON 842

-19.28%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$8.95 RON 41.09

128.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$11.12 RON 51.1

255.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$54.4 RON 250

-11.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$29.49 RON 135

-36.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$9.13 RON 41.92

0.99%

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

$616 €540

$676 RON 3,105

-8.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$14.3K RON 65.7K

14.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$81.1 RON 372

26.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$44.42 RON 204

-6.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$89.8 RON 412

5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$108 RON 497

12.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$662 RON 3,039

146.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$441 RON 2,022

179.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,352 RON 6,207

129.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$849 RON 3,896

139.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,777 RON 17.3K

107.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,231 RON 10.2K

96.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,408 RON 6,463

14.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.1

-46.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $662 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 14% 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 $69.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $230, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Bucharest differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,362 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $662 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,362 in Bucharest – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 131% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,362 in Bucharest versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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 Bucharest 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.