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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $1,346 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $2,052 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $2,758 in Chisinau, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 68% more than Chisinau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 64% above the global median, while Chisinau is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.69 MDL 201

50.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$51.6 MDL 885

25.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.58 MDL 147

35.78%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.23 MDL 38.26

46.19%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.25 MDL 21.51

99.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.89 MDL 15.21

87.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.29 MDL 39.22

51.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.97 MDL 33.83

81.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.30 MDL 22.25

-9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.72 MDL 12.35

170.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.49 MDL 25.63

4.70%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.97 MDL 50.9

35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$10.16 MDL 174

30.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.28 MDL 90.6

59.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$8.78 MDL 151

107.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.97 MDL 16.69

139.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.90 MDL 32.68

-8.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.05 MDL 35.22

-5.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.21 MDL 38.00

19.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.68 MDL 11.71

179.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.57 MDL 9.70

270.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.46 MDL 24.97

-1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.93 MDL 16.03

-13.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.57 MDL 61.2

96.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.03 MDL 86.4

17.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.27 MDL 21.74

7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.94 MDL 33.36

10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.39 MDL 6.74

510.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$13.83 MDL 237

234.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.36 MDL 40.54

77.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.37 MDL 6.31

197.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.07 MDL 87.1

240.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.71 MDL 29.27

31.58%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$29.9K MDL 513.3K

15.24%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$30.5K MDL 523.0K

36.55%

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

$171 €147

$254 MDL 4,365

-32.82%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.44 MDL 162

101.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$10.75 MDL 185

218.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$42.83 MDL 735

15.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$21.23 MDL 364

-8.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.60 MDL 148

17.44%

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

$699 €603

$445 MDL 7,633

57.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,089 MDL 104.5K

191.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$78.4 MDL 1,345

33.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$47.80 MDL 820

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$119 MDL 2,050

-14.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$113 MDL 1,945

13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$711 MDL 12.2K

133.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$455 MDL 7,815

169.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,258 MDL 21.6K

131.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$821 MDL 14.1K

146.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,781 MDL 47.7K

192.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,997 MDL 34.3K

132.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$922 MDL 15.8K

75.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

9.41

-59.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Lisbon versus $711 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 76% 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 $64.0 in Lisbon versus $52.0 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $197 – 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 68%, 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 $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $2,019 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 43% 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 $64.0 in Lisbon and $52.0 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 $1,346, than in Lisbon at $2,268. 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.