Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chisinau Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chisinau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,231 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Lisbon vs $1,813 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,411 per month in Lisbon vs $2,394 in Chisinau, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 80% more than Chisinau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Chisinau is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$8.53 MDL 147

86.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$37.11 MDL 637

74.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$7.53 MDL 129

39.58%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.87 MDL 32.20

53.48%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.99 MDL 17.02

126.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.70 MDL 12.00

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.74 MDL 29.87

100.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.29 MDL 39.39

69.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.29 MDL 22.15

-11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.52 MDL 8.97

236.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.46 MDL 25.01

20.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.62 MDL 44.96

22.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.22 MDL 176

32.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.35 MDL 91.9

47.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.69 MDL 149

82.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.84 MDL 14.39

175.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.82 MDL 31.27

-6.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.78 MDL 30.51

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.17 MDL 37.25

13.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.81 MDL 13.92

127.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.54 MDL 9.31

270.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.30 MDL 22.38

48.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.90 MDL 15.47

-12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.28 MDL 56.4

101.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$4.73 MDL 81.3

20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.21 MDL 20.82

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.91 MDL 32.81

55.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.33 MDL 5.75

618.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$13.47 MDL 231

238.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.07 MDL 35.59

107.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.25 MDL 4.29

228.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$5.33 MDL 91.7

243.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.44 MDL 24.75

43.06%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$32.7K MDL 561.6K

4.87%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.5K MDL 540.4K

24.91%

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

$148 €127

$174 MDL 2,989

-15.02%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$7.38 MDL 127

178.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$10.98 MDL 189

260.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$43.14 MDL 741

10.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$22.18 MDL 381

-14.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$7.63 MDL 131

20.31%

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

$614 €529

$388 MDL 6,659

58.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,708 MDL 132.4K

108.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$65.4 MDL 1,123

60.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$54.3 MDL 933

-22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$111 MDL 1,910

-15.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$120 MDL 2,070

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$668 MDL 11.5K

143.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$468 MDL 8,044

168.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,243 MDL 21.4K

143.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$798 MDL 13.7K

153.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$2,649 MDL 45.5K

194.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$1,901 MDL 32.7K

124.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$864 MDL 14.8K

85.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.24

-58.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $668 in Chisinau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 86% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon versus $37.00 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $190 – making Chisinau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 80%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,846 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chisinau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon and $37.00 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chisinau, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Chisinau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chisinau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chisinau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.