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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,212 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,791 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,370 in Craiova.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 92% more expensive than in Craiova, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Craiova is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$7.81 RON 35.07

118.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$36.97 RON 166

73.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$7.76 RON 34.85

50.90%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$2.88 RON 12.93

9.03%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$2.39 RON 10.74

5.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.87 RON 8.42

-11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.44 RON 10.97

43.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$3.64 RON 16.37

-7.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.39 RON 6.25

-16.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$0.85 RON 3.80

137.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.49 RON 6.70

6.04%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$3.51 RON 15.75

15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$7.79 RON 35.00

64.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$6.85 RON 30.75

17.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$11.99 RON 53.9

42.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.00 RON 4.50

138.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.56 RON 7.00

17.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.52 RON 6.84

30.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$1.83 RON 8.20

45.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.83 RON 3.71

128.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.96 RON 4.29

105.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.72 RON 3.22

98.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.81 RON 3.62

12.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$6.61 RON 29.68

3.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$6.44 RON 28.94

-11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.37 RON 6.15

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.55 RON 6.96

37.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.91 RON 4.08

163.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$26.66 RON 120

72.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$0.67 RON 3.01

534.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.64 RON 2.87

73.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$6.73 RON 30.21

167.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.80 RON 8.10

22.22%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$30.0K RON 134.6K

17.45%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$26.9K RON 121.0K

48.68%

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

$171 €146

$214 RON 962

-20.11%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$10.73 RON 48.21

82.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$12.72 RON 57.1

160.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$45.48 RON 204

5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$24.91 RON 112

-20.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$8.23 RON 36.98

22.96%

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

$700 €599

$436 RON 1,956

60.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$8,696 RON 39.1K

99.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$70.0 RON 314

56.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$43.81 RON 197

9.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$78.3 RON 352

35.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$109 RON 489

15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$526 RON 2,361

224.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$404 RON 1,813

213.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$909 RON 4,082

227.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$631 RON 2,833

217.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$2,760 RON 12.4K

190.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$2,033 RON 9,133

122.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$959 RON 4,307

73.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

6.84

-45.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Craiova: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $526 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 73% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $205 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 92% 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 73% 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $526 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,322 per month in Lisbon versus $1,212 in Craiova – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 72% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,212 in Craiova versus $2,322 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 $1,212 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 92% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.