Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,187 a month against $2,203 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,203

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Craiova

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $1,187 in Craiova.

Lisbon $2,203
Craiova $1,187

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $1,763 in Craiova.

Lisbon $3,237
Craiova $1,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,338 in Craiova.

Lisbon $4,272
Craiova $2,338

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than in Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Craiova is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.18

$7.53 RON 35.62

125.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €56.0

$41.41 RON 196

51.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.19

$7.20 RON 34.05

58.61%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.76

$2.62 RON 12.40

17.94%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$2.21 RON 10.44

7.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.80 RON 8.51

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.09

$2.36 RON 11.14

46.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$3.46 RON 16.35

-4.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.32 RON 6.26

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.87 RON 4.09

114.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.38 RON 6.54

10.14%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.46

$3.41 RON 16.12

13.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.49

$7.11 RON 33.61

81.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.08

$6.46 RON 30.57

22.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.73

$11.35 RON 53.7

55.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.04 RON 4.90

117.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.44 RON 6.82

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.46 RON 6.90

28.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.83 RON 8.66

34.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.77 RON 3.64

141.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$0.84 RON 4.00

146.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.69 RON 3.24

101.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.75 RON 3.56

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.15

$6.36 RON 30.08

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.93

$6.27 RON 29.66

-11.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.20 RON 5.66

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.47 RON 6.96

47.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €2.00

$0.82 RON 3.87

173.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.29

$25.32 RON 120

78.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.57

$0.64 RON 3.04

525.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.61 RON 2.89

75.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.75

$6.40 RON 30.25

158.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.92 RON 9.09

17.71%

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

$33.5K €29.9K

$28.0K RON 132.6K

19.56%

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

$40.5K €36.1K

$26.2K RON 124.0K

54.40%

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

$164 €146

$214 RON 1,011

-23.48%

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

$18.54 €16.55

$9.61 RON 45.43

92.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.64

$11.51 RON 54.5

188.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €41.06

$44.51 RON 211

3.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.78

$21.43 RON 101

-12.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.45

$7.46 RON 35.30

26.94%

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

$690 €615

$421 RON 1,992

63.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

$8,039 RON 38.0K

109.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.4

$63.1 RON 298

66.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.40

$50.9 RON 241

-11.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €88.3

$82.9 RON 392

19.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$102 RON 481

21.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,413

$503 RON 2,379

214.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,079

$391 RON 1,851

209.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,528

$874 RON 4,132

224.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,753

$602 RON 2,845

226.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,821

$2,655 RON 12.6K

187.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,954

$2,024 RON 9,575

118.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,403

$941 RON 4,449

67.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.84

-44.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Craiova: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 54%

Craiova

$391 32.7% 67.6% $818

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.1%

Craiova

$195 16.3% 28.4% $77

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11%

Craiova

$148 12.4% 40.2% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.6%

Craiova

$235 19.7% 9.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.5%

Craiova

$134 11.2% 19.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 2.9%

Craiova

$59 5% 8.5% $5.5

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Craiova

$32 2.7% 49.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $503 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% 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 $41.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $195 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

11:30 11:30 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

269,506

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lisbon Craiova 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $503 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,203 per month in Lisbon versus $1,187 in Craiova – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 78% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,187 in Craiova versus $2,203 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Craiova delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,187 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Craiova hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.