Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Orhei Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Orhei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $674 in Orhei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,086 in Orhei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,498 in Orhei.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 229% more expensive than in Orhei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Orhei is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$8.79 MDL 152

79.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$36.69 MDL 634

70.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$7.48 MDL 129

40.91%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$1.81 MDL 31.24

53.04%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$0.93 MDL 16.11

145.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.70 MDL 12.05

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$1.74 MDL 29.99

104.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.28 MDL 39.32

74.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.28 MDL 22.05

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.52 MDL 8.97

240.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.45 MDL 25.13

22.07%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$2.53 MDL 43.74

23.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$10.37 MDL 179

28.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$5.59 MDL 96.6

42.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$8.74 MDL 151

82.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.89 MDL 15.30

156.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.75 MDL 30.19

-6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.70 MDL 29.30

16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.07 MDL 35.69

18.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.78 MDL 13.49

126.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.55 MDL 9.51

258.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.31 MDL 22.68

50.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.83 MDL 14.37

-3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$3.24 MDL 56.0

101.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.27 MDL 21.90

3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$1.99 MDL 34.30

50.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.18 MDL 3.06

1200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$2.07 MDL 35.83

105.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.25 MDL 4.32

236.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$5.41 MDL 93.5

248.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.44 MDL 24.89

43.75%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$31.9K MDL 551.4K

10.44%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$31.2K MDL 538.4K

23.93%

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

$151 €132

$171 MDL 2,957

-11.67%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$7.57 MDL 131

176.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$11.03 MDL 191

258.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$7.44 MDL 129

21.51%

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

$610 €532

$386 MDL 6,670

58.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$7,547 MDL 130.4K

115.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$66.1 MDL 1,141

53.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$53.0 MDL 916

-23.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$113 MDL 1,953

-17.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$124 MDL 2,138

-4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.24

-58.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Orhei: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Orhei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $180 per month, with Orhei 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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Orhei differ by about 229% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $674 including rent). Orhei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,325 in Lisbon and $1,011 in Orhei to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $674 in Orhei – a 229% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $674 in Orhei versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Orhei but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Orhei 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 Orhei 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 Orhei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 229% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.