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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,018 in Buzau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,497 in Buzau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,976 in Buzau.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 126% more expensive than in Buzau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Buzau is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$11.04 RON 50.6

59.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$26.55 RON 122

136.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$6.66 RON 30.52

73.87%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.04 RON 9.36

51.96%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.06 RON 9.43

20.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.56 RON 7.16

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.78 RON 8.17

95.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.74 RON 7.96

97.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.77 RON 8.10

-35.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.33 RON 6.11

43.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.51 RON 6.92

-0.66%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.12 RON 14.31

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$7.60 RON 34.86

74.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.06 RON 32.38

13.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$11.45 RON 52.5

57.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.06 RON 4.85

121.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.76 RON 8.09

-0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.11 RON 5.07

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.24 RON 5.70

105.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.68 RON 3.13

170.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.85 RON 3.90

147.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.51 RON 2.32

192.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.73 RON 3.37

12.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.64 RON 30.46

6.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.67 RON 30.59

-11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.80 RON 3.67

63.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.45 RON 6.67

46.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.65 RON 2.98

263.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$22.25 RON 102

109.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.52 RON 2.38

684.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.55 RON 2.53

107.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$6.78 RON 31.10

152.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.62 RON 7.43

42.59%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$19.9K RON 91.1K

71.71%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$21.7K RON 99.4K

90.80%

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

$169 €147

$126 RON 578

33.77%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$8.07 RON 37.00

139.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$8.17 RON 37.46

310.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$34.18 RON 157

42.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$18.63 RON 85.4

4.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.29 RON 33.43

31.28%

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

$696 €606

$301 RON 1,380

131.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,929 RON 31.8K

150.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$57.5 RON 264

83.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$61.7 RON 283

-22.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$103 RON 470

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$87.9 RON 403

41.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$373 RON 1,710

345.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$305 RON 1,396

309.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$635 RON 2,909

367.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$431 RON 1,976

375.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$1,551 RON 7,111

405.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$1,237 RON 5,672

260.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$896 RON 4,107

82.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.97

-45.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Buzau: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $373 in Buzau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 82% 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 $27.00 in Buzau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $203 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 126% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,018 including rent). Buzau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% 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 $373 in Buzau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% 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 $27.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,018 in Buzau versus $2,296 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 126% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.