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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,397 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,105 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,814 in Bucharest.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 64% more expensive than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Bucharest 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$15.50 RON 71.1

13.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$59.9 RON 275

4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.54 RON 34.58

53.58%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.72 RON 17.07

-16.67%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.36 RON 10.82

5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.30 RON 10.55

-24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.98 RON 18.26

-12.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.51 RON 20.70

-23.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.82 RON 8.33

-36.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.44 RON 6.62

32.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.82 RON 8.36

-17.58%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.94 RON 18.08

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.47 RON 43.44

40.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.05 RON 32.36

13.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$12.16 RON 55.8

48.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.33 RON 6.11

76.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.67 RON 7.68

4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.64 RON 7.51

12.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.80 RON 12.83

-8.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.84 RON 3.86

119.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.79 RON 3.62

165.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.91 RON 4.16

63.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.00 RON 4.59

-18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$7.00 RON 32.12

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.44 RON 29.54

-8.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.24 RON 5.70

5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.74 RON 7.99

22.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.86 RON 3.93

174.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$21.97 RON 101

112.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.63 RON 2.91

547.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.69 RON 3.17

65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$6.68 RON 30.66

155.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.97 RON 9.05

17.26%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.3K RON 134.6K

16.34%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$28.4K RON 130.4K

45.58%

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

$169 €147

$192 RON 879

-12.02%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$8.51 RON 39.03

127.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$10.09 RON 46.28

232.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$53.1 RON 244

-7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$25.78 RON 118

-24.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$8.57 RON 39.30

11.67%

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

$696 €607

$664 RON 3,048

4.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$15.1K RON 69.3K

14.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$94.5 RON 434

11.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$40.90 RON 188

16.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$82.4 RON 378

21.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$99.2 RON 455

25.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$716 RON 3,283

132.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$470 RON 2,158

165.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,149 RON 5,273

157.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$739 RON 3,389

177.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$3,881 RON 17.8K

101.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,277 RON 10.4K

96.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,484 RON 6,809

9.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.76

-44.08%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $716 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 10% 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 $60.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $235 per month, with Bucharest 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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Bucharest differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,397 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $716 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,397 in Bucharest – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 112% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,397 in Bucharest versus $2,296 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 64% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.