Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ialoveni Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ialoveni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $834 in Ialoveni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,355 in Ialoveni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,876 in Ialoveni.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 172% more expensive than in Ialoveni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Ialoveni is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$8.88 MDL 152

97.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$31.23 MDL 536

106.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$10.82 MDL 186

7.67%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.22 MDL 38.03

46.85%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.30 MDL 22.25

91.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.87 MDL 14.92

91.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.36 MDL 40.50

47.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.31 MDL 39.64

54.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.31 MDL 22.53

-9.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.73 MDL 12.54

167.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.67 MDL 11.47

132.84%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.84 MDL 48.77

41.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.08 MDL 121

87.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.40 MDL 92.6

55.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$5.14 MDL 88.3

254.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.04 MDL 17.81

123.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.98 MDL 33.98

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.12 MDL 36.33

-8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.44 MDL 41.96

8.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.79 MDL 13.56

140.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.53 MDL 9.12

298.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.48 MDL 25.42

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.87 MDL 14.97

-8.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.44 MDL 59.1

103.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$4.68 MDL 80.3

26.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.24 MDL 21.34

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.87 MDL 32.12

14.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.33 MDL 5.72

621.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$7.15 MDL 123

546.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.38 MDL 40.88

76.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.25 MDL 4.25

340.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.40 MDL 92.7

219.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.62 MDL 27.87

38.89%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$30.5K MDL 523.9K

12.90%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.7K MDL 441.1K

61.90%

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

$171 €147

$201 MDL 3,441

-14.77%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.97 MDL 171

90.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$11.71 MDL 201

192.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$29.26 MDL 502

69.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$11.79 MDL 202

65.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.79 MDL 134

29.65%

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

$699 €603

$116 MDL 1,992

502.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,370 MDL 92.2K

230.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$46.69 MDL 801

124.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$29.17 MDL 501

64.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$86.0 MDL 1,476

18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$100 MDL 1,721

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$176 MDL 3,018

844.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$117 MDL 2,012

947.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$382 MDL 6,547

664.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$378 MDL 6,482

435.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$614 MDL 10.5K

163.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-52.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ialoveni: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $176 in Ialoveni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 164% 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 $31.00 in Ialoveni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $175 per month, with Ialoveni 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 Ialoveni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ialoveni wins on cost – living expenses run 172% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ialoveni the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 164% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $176 in Ialoveni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ialoveni runs roughly 546% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $116 in Ialoveni. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $834 in Ialoveni versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ialoveni but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ialoveni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ialoveni delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $834 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ialoveni hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ialoveni 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 Ialoveni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.