Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Buzias

For one person, living is cheaper in Buzias: $974 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Buzias, Romania
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Buzias
🇷🇴 Romania
$974
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Buzias

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

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $974 in Buzias, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Buzias $974

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $1,553 in Buzias, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Buzias $1,553

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $2,131 in Buzias, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Buzias $2,131

Lisbon costs about 126% more than Buzias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 63% above the global median, while Buzias is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.00
$8.19 RON 38.91
105.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.3
$42.63 RON 203
43.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.77
$7.42 RON 35.29
47.98%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.71
$3.10 RON 14.73
-1.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.04 RON 9.68
11.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.74 RON 8.25
-3.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.06
$3.20 RON 15.21
7.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$3.90 RON 18.52
0.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.38 RON 6.56
-16.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.16 RON 5.52
62.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.40 RON 6.65
7.14%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.66
$3.37 RON 16.01
22.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.57
$8.01 RON 38.06
62.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.16
$5.95 RON 28.27
35.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.92
$8.03 RON 38.16
122.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.20 RON 5.71
89.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.50 RON 7.13
16.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.43 RON 6.80
27.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.51 RON 11.91
7.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$0.70 RON 3.33
152.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$0.62 RON 2.92
212.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.03 RON 4.91
41.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$0.91 RON 4.35
-16.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.92
$5.96 RON 28.34
11.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$7.20 RON 34.23
-21.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$0.92 RON 4.36
40.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.90
$1.38 RON 6.55
55.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$0.65 RON 3.11
253.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.17
$25.15 RON 120
75.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.54
$0.98 RON 4.63
306.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$0.85 RON 4.03
-24.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.84
$9.70 RON 46.09
95.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.98 RON 9.39
15.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$28.1K RON 133.5K
18.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$25.8K RON 122.7K
49.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$113 RON 536
40.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.61
$9.21 RON 43.80
90.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.75
$12.28 RON 58.4
153.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.73
$34.25 RON 163
30.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.89
$20.52 RON 97.5
-7.50%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.52
$6.72 RON 31.96
42.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €599
$447 RON 2,124
50.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$10.3K RON 48.7K
82.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €90.9
$99.3 RON 472
2.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.85
$38.49 RON 183
19.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.0
$87.6 RON 416
16.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$89.1 RON 423
36.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,460
$416 RON 1,975
294.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,057
$258 RON 1,226
360.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,514
$651 RON 3,093
334.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,796
$499 RON 2,374
304.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,973
$1,636 RON 7,775
379.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,183
$1,222 RON 5,806
284.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Buzias
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,501
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
7.02
-45.58%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Buzias: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Buzias
$258 78.3% $929
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Buzias
$196 28.7% $79
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Buzias
$164 33.2% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Buzias
$134 35.1% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Buzias
$142 15.5% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Buzias
$48 25.2% $16
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Buzias
$33 45.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $416 in Buzias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Lisbon versus $43 in Buzias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $196 – making Buzias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇷🇴 Buzias
🕒 Local time
01:50 1:50 AM
03:50 3:50 AM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
7,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Buzias 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Buzias

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Buzias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buzias cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 126%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $1,461 in Buzias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Buzias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $1,641 in Lisbon.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 43% less in Buzias. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Lisbon and $447 in Buzias. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Lisbon or Buzias more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Buzias – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Buzias?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Buzias is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 56% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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