Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Craiova Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Craiova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,113 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,648 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,184 in Craiova.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Craiova, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Craiova is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$8.97 RON 41.00

75.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$45.16 RON 206

38.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$7.92 RON 36.17

33.08%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$2.60 RON 11.90

6.54%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$2.08 RON 9.50

9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.95 RON 8.89

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.25 RON 10.28

57.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.42 RON 15.61

16.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.51 RON 6.89

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.98 RON 4.49

80.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.64 RON 7.48

7.93%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$3.35 RON 15.32

-6.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$7.48 RON 34.15

78.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$6.59 RON 30.11

21.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$9.61 RON 43.90

65.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.23 RON 5.60

85.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.66 RON 7.58

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.60 RON 7.31

23.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.89 RON 8.65

29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.04 RON 4.75

70.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.13 RON 5.18

74.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.79 RON 3.62

149.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.81 RON 3.68

-1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$5.98 RON 27.33

9.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$6.26 RON 28.58

-8.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.30 RON 5.94

1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$2.21 RON 10.09

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.72 RON 3.30

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$23.17 RON 106

97.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$0.59 RON 2.72

622.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.87 RON 3.97

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$6.76 RON 30.87

178.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.62 RON 7.40

27.78%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$28.0K RON 128.1K

25.65%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$27.7K RON 126.3K

39.62%

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

$151 €132

$209 RON 954

-27.63%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$7.90 RON 36.08

164.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$11.62 RON 53.1

240.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$37.06 RON 169

30.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$18.83 RON 86.0

-1.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$6.76 RON 30.87

33.73%

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

$610 €532

$434 RON 1,982

40.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$9,050 RON 41.3K

79.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$78.1 RON 357

29.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$37.79 RON 173

7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$78.6 RON 359

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$85.0 RON 388

39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$389 RON 1,775

312.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$307 RON 1,403

303.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$727 RON 3,322

315.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$438 RON 2,000

370.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$2,638 RON 12.1K

202.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$2,016 RON 9,210

124.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$998 RON 4,561

63.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.28

-39.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Craiova: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $389 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 63% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $203 per month, with Craiova 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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 99% 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 63% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $389 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $1,113 in Craiova – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 98% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,113 in Craiova versus $2,217 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 $1,113 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 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.