Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Focsani

For one person, living is cheaper in Focsani: $1,019 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Focsani, Romania
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Focsani
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,019
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Focsani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,019 in Focsani.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Focsani $1,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,643 in Focsani.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Focsani $1,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,266 in Focsani.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Focsani $2,266

Living in Lisbon is roughly 117% more expensive than in Focsani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Focsani is 25% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$7.53 RON 35.97
121.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$42.58 RON 203
45.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$7.21 RON 34.44
57.56%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$2.40 RON 11.46
23.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$1.85 RON 8.85
23.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.58 RON 7.56
10.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$1.91 RON 9.13
78.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$2.55 RON 12.17
29.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.66 RON 7.91
-30.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.08 RON 5.15
76.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.23 RON 5.86
22.76%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.13 RON 14.95
28.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$8.65 RON 41.32
49.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$6.66 RON 31.84
16.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$10.42 RON 49.78
70.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$1.20 RON 5.75
91.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.58 RON 7.53
9.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.57 RON 7.51
18.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$2.25 RON 10.76
15.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$0.85 RON 4.06
114.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.79 RON 3.80
149.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.61 RON 2.94
140.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.76 RON 3.63
-5.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$5.77 RON 27.56
14.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$4.25 RON 20.31
32.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.15 RON 5.50
18.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.48 RON 7.05
44.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$0.81 RON 3.88
187.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$15.65 RON 74.8
185.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$0.61 RON 2.90
531.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.66 RON 3.16
62.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$6.34 RON 30.28
159.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.87 RON 8.93
17.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$24.9K RON 118.9K
37.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$24.1K RON 115.3K
60.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$170 RON 811
-4.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$8.23 RON 39.31
123.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$9.01 RON 43.05
263.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$27.77 RON 133
60.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$36.37 RON 174
-47.48%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$8.12 RON 38.79
18.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$319 RON 1,522
109.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$14.6K RON 69.6K
20.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$89.2 RON 426
14.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$38.40 RON 184
15.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$79.1 RON 378
24.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$92.0 RON 440
34.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$377 RON 1,800
327.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$291 RON 1,389
309.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$895 RON 4,278
214.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$636 RON 3,040
216.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$1,045 RON 4,995
649.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$878 RON 4,195
421.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Focsani
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$683 RON 3,264
130.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.75
-42.96%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Focsani: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Focsani
$291 75.6% $899
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Focsani
$201 26.1% $71
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Focsani
$139 42.7% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Focsani
$187 12% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Focsani
$134 19% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Focsani
$44 31% $20
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Focsani
$23 63.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $377 in Focsani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $43 in Focsani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $201 per month, with Focsani cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇷🇴 Focsani
🕒 Local time
21:17 9:17 PM
23:17 11:17 PM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
97,186
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Focsani 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Focsani

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Focsani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Focsani?
Focsani wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Focsani the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Focsani?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 2.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Focsani?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $377 in Focsani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Lisbon and in Focsani?
Dining out is cheaper in Focsani – a meal for two runs $43 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Focsani?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,019 in Focsani – Focsani is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lisbon or in Focsani?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Focsani is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lisbon or Focsani?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Focsani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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