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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,106 in Ploiesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,633 in Ploiesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,160 in Ploiesti.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 106% more expensive than in Ploiesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Ploiesti is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$9.66 RON 44.11

63.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$42.57 RON 194

49.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$7.77 RON 35.49

34.49%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.60 RON 11.87

11.92%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.90 RON 8.66

20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.90 RON 8.69

-21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.25 RON 10.28

58.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.37 RON 15.41

17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.39 RON 6.37

-22.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.05 RON 4.80

67.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.77 RON 8.07

-3.95%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$3.22 RON 14.70

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$8.80 RON 40.18

50.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$7.13 RON 32.55

7.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$9.23 RON 42.14

70.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.17 RON 5.33

94.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.48 RON 6.77

12.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.28 RON 5.87

57.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.89 RON 8.65

30.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.76 RON 3.48

135.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.89 RON 4.09

132.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.70 RON 3.21

181.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.81 RON 3.68

2.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$5.77 RON 26.36

13.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$7.01 RON 32.01

-20.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.91 RON 4.17

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.44 RON 6.58

109.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.61 RON 2.77

272.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$19.65 RON 89.8

135.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.72 RON 3.30

487.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.65 RON 2.95

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$5.77 RON 26.37

226.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.55 RON 7.10

30.32%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$24.5K RON 112.1K

42.41%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$27.2K RON 124.2K

45.73%

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

$148 €129

$146 RON 668

1.18%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$8.52 RON 38.91

140.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$10.10 RON 46.13

291.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$51.8 RON 237

-7.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$20.24 RON 92.4

-9.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.82 RON 31.12

33.43%

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

$615 €536

$419 RON 1,915

46.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,861 RON 31.3K

137.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$81.7 RON 373

24.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$41.76 RON 191

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$73.3 RON 335

25.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$99.1 RON 453

23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$532 RON 2,429

202.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$335 RON 1,530

274.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$757 RON 3,458

305.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$467 RON 2,135

335.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$1,976 RON 9,023

292.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,291 RON 5,895

232.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,009 RON 4,609

58.71%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $532 in Ploiesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 59% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $201 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 106% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,106 including rent). Ploiesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $532 in Ploiesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $419 in Ploiesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,106 in Ploiesti versus $2,280 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 106% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.