Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Buzau Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Buzau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,096 in Buzau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,581 in Buzau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,066 in Buzau.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than Buzau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Buzau is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$12.14 RON 54.9

31.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$24.99 RON 113

159.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.89 RON 26.62

78.44%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.70 RON 12.20

6.30%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.98 RON 8.97

13.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.57 RON 7.11

-4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.28 RON 14.83

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.47 RON 15.69

11.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.47 RON 6.66

-22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.35 RON 6.12

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.78 RON 8.04

-1.12%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.35 RON 15.14

-3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.74 RON 39.51

54.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.94 RON 31.35

13.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.24 RON 46.27

54.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.89 RON 4.04

159.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.54 RON 6.97

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.18 RON 5.34

70.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.75 RON 7.91

40.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.87 RON 3.95

111.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.07 RON 4.82

86.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.60 RON 2.73

221.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.61 RON 2.74

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.60 RON 25.33

18.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.60 RON 29.85

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.06 RON 4.80

29.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.71 RON 7.75

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.67 RON 3.05

253.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$19.34 RON 87.4

135.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.65 RON 2.93

560.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.75 RON 3.40

9.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.95 RON 31.41

163.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.64 RON 7.40

25.61%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.1K RON 95.2K

62.84%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$23.4K RON 105.6K

68.21%

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

$148 €127

$125 RON 566

18.17%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$6.43 RON 29.08

219.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$9.05 RON 40.93

337.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$37.13 RON 168

28.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$20.02 RON 90.5

-5.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.93 RON 26.79

54.81%

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

$614 €528

$334 RON 1,512

83.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,544 RON 29.6K

145.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$60.8 RON 275

72.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$43.04 RON 195

-2.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$94.9 RON 429

-0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$98.9 RON 447

20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$445 RON 2,010

266.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$364 RON 1,643

245.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$622 RON 2,813

386.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$470 RON 2,123

330.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,555 RON 7,029

401.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,217 RON 5,501

251.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$902 RON 4,076

77.83%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Buzau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $445 in Buzau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 78% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Buzau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $204 per month, with Buzau 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 Buzau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Buzau differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,096 including rent). Buzau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 78% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $445 in Buzau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Buzau – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Buzau versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buzau but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Buzau 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 Buzau 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 Buzau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.