Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cricova Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cricova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,053 in Cricova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,939 in Cricova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,825 in Cricova.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 121% more expensive than in Cricova, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Cricova is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$8.56 MDL 145

99.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$29.10 MDL 494

120.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$10.89 MDL 185

7.53%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$1.08 MDL 18.32

190.74%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$1.09 MDL 18.47

130.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.73 MDL 12.35

127.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.02 MDL 34.27

73.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.28 MDL 38.68

47.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$2.51 MDL 42.60

-53.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$0.52 MDL 8.89

288.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.09 MDL 18.49

44.95%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$1.30 MDL 22.06

211.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$6.95 MDL 118

84.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$4.71 MDL 80.0

70.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$12.59 MDL 214

35.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.14 MDL 19.31

108.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.83 MDL 14.15

120.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.12 MDL 19.09

77.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$1.14 MDL 19.36

134.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.76 MDL 12.84

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.14 MDL 19.36

72.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.09 MDL 18.57

31.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.08 MDL 18.42

-15.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$3.38 MDL 57.4

101.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$4.73 MDL 80.2

21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.66 MDL 45.17

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$4.49 MDL 76.2

-52.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.60 MDL 10.27

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$23.42 MDL 398

96.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$1.13 MDL 19.21

276.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.27 MDL 4.63

311.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$6.90 MDL 117

160.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.37 MDL 23.20

60.58%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$30.3K MDL 514.0K

16.29%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$25.2K MDL 427.1K

59.19%

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

$171 €146

$249 MDL 4,235

-31.39%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$8.20 MDL 139

139.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$11.79 MDL 200

181.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$58.8 MDL 998

-18.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$11.72 MDL 199

69.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$7.96 MDL 135

27.14%

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

$700 €599

$119 MDL 2,015

489.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$5,386 MDL 91.5K

222.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$57.4 MDL 974

90.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$28.86 MDL 490

65.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$86.7 MDL 1,472

22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$115 MDL 1,949

9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$936 MDL 15.9K

82.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$229 MDL 3,881

453.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$1,446 MDL 24.6K

105.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$1,168 MDL 19.8K

71.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$2,942 MDL 50.0K

172.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$2,013 MDL 34.2K

124.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$584 MDL 9,924

184.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

-46.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Cricova: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $936 in Cricova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 185% 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 $29.00 in Cricova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $197 per month, with Cricova 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 Cricova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Cricova differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,053 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 185% 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 $936 in Cricova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 96% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $700 in Lisbon versus $119 in Cricova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,053 in Cricova versus $2,322 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cricova 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 Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.