Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vulcanesti Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vulcanesti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $776 in Vulcanesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $1,131 in Vulcanesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,485 in Vulcanesti.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 184% more expensive than in Vulcanesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Vulcanesti is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.16

$6.75 MDL 120

152.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €55.9

$29.34 MDL 521

113.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.17

$10.78 MDL 191

5.94%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.75

$1.16 MDL 20.54

166.38%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$0.81 MDL 14.31

192.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$0.42 MDL 7.43

295.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.08

$1.14 MDL 20.25

203.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$1.44 MDL 25.61

128.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.97 MDL 17.25

20.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.47 MDL 8.34

297.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.74 MDL 30.89

-12.64%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.46

$2.21 MDL 39.19

75.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.47

$6.92 MDL 123

85.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.07

$4.77 MDL 84.7

66.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.71

$8.21 MDL 146

114.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.22 MDL 21.62

85.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.73 MDL 30.71

1.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.83 MDL 32.46

2.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.80 MDL 31.95

37.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.66 MDL 11.74

181.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$0.33 MDL 5.82

527.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.18 MDL 38.73

-36.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.41 MDL 7.35

97.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.14

$3.32 MDL 58.9

107.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.93

$2.49 MDL 44.16

122.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.88 MDL 15.59

51.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.21 MDL 21.50

79.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €2.00

$0.35 MDL 6.24

540.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.56

$1.15 MDL 20.36

247.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.16 MDL 2.83

568.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.73

$3.46 MDL 61.4

377.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.30 MDL 23.00

73.85%

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

$33.5K €29.9K

$23.7K MDL 420.2K

41.64%

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

$40.5K €36.1K

$21.2K MDL 376.2K

91.11%

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

$164 €146

$108 MDL 1,911

52.05%

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

$18.54 €16.53

$5.22 MDL 92.7

255.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.60

$5.82 MDL 103

470.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €41.01

$16.73 MDL 297

175.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.76

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.44

$7.83 MDL 139

20.95%

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

$690 €615

$111 MDL 1,979

518.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

$5,351 MDL 95.0K

215.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.3

$30.55 MDL 543

242.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.35

$25.25 MDL 449

79.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €88.2

$83.3 MDL 1,480

18.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$143 MDL 2,547

-13.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,411

$281 MDL 4,992

463.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,078

$225 MDL 3,988

438.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,525

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,751

$279 MDL 4,960

603.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,812

$859 MDL 15.3K

790.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,949

$859 MDL 15.3K

415.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,402

$718 MDL 12.8K

118.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

7.5

-49.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vulcanesti: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $281 in Vulcanesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 119% 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 $29.00 in Vulcanesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $160 per month, with Vulcanesti 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 Vulcanesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Vulcanesti differ by about 184% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $776 including rent). Vulcanesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 119% 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: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $281 in Vulcanesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,203 per month in Lisbon versus $776 in Vulcanesti – a 184% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Vulcanesti versus $2,203 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vulcanesti but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vulcanesti 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 Vulcanesti 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 Vulcanesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 184% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.