Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ploiesti Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ploiesti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,115 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,625 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,136 in Ploiesti.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than Ploiesti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Ploiesti is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$9.71 RON 42.25

66.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$42.01 RON 183

53.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$7.99 RON 34.78

29.91%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.65 RON 11.51

4.53%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.92 RON 8.33

17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$1.91 RON 8.30

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$2.26 RON 9.83

54.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.46 RON 15.07

15.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.40 RON 6.07

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.09 RON 4.72

59.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.68 RON 7.32

3.57%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$3.41 RON 14.82

-6.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$8.67 RON 37.71

54.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$6.87 RON 29.88

16.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$9.01 RON 39.19

78.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.22 RON 5.31

86.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.40 RON 6.11

22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.34 RON 5.83

44.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.88 RON 8.18

35.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$0.77 RON 3.34

137.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$0.89 RON 3.87

129.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.71 RON 3.07

178.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.80 RON 3.47

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$5.75 RON 25.00

19.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$6.71 RON 29.18

-13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.93 RON 4.03

47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.37 RON 5.95

111.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.55 RON 2.41

314.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$19.28 RON 83.9

142.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$0.71 RON 3.09

474.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.66 RON 2.86

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$5.78 RON 25.14

216.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.62 RON 7.03

24.07%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$25.4K RON 110.5K

38.85%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.2K RON 118.2K

41.61%

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

$145 €124

$146 RON 637

-0.66%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$8.48 RON 36.89

147.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$9.81 RON 42.68

308.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$50.9 RON 221

-4.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$20.18 RON 87.8

-7.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$7.11 RON 30.91

27.43%

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

$607 €518

$424 RON 1,846

42.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$6,841 RON 29.8K

138.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$81.8 RON 356

27.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$43.15 RON 188

-5.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$75.6 RON 329

23.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$96.8 RON 421

22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$529 RON 2,301

203.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$336 RON 1,462

267.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$757 RON 3,294

302.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$469 RON 2,041

338.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

$2,052 RON 8,927

275.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

$1,358 RON 5,906

214.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$1,080 RON 4,698

46.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.62

-42.45%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $529 in Ploiesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 47% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $199 per month, with Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ploiesti differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,115 including rent). Ploiesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 47% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $529 in Ploiesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $424 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,115 in Ploiesti versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ploiesti but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.