Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ploiesti and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ploiesti: $1,072 a month against $2,203 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ploiesti
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,072
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,203
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ploiesti and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ploiesti and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Ploiesti versus $2,203 in Lisbon.

  • Ploiesti $1,072
  • Lisbon $2,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,631 in Ploiesti versus $3,237 in Lisbon.

  • Ploiesti $1,631
  • Lisbon $3,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Ploiesti versus $4,272 in Lisbon.

  • Ploiesti $2,191
  • Lisbon $4,272

Living in Ploiesti costs roughly 51% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ploiesti is 20% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.59 RON 54.8
$17.01 €15.18
-31.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.91 RON 217
$62.7 €56.0
-26.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.99 RON 37.79
$11.42 €10.19
-30.04%
Cappuccino
$3.00 RON 14.17
$3.09 €2.76
-2.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 RON 10.21
$2.37 €2.11
-8.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 RON 9.96
$1.66 €1.48
26.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 RON 12.05
$3.46 €3.09
-26.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 RON 15.65
$3.29 €2.93
0.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 RON 7.76
$1.17 €1.04
40.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 RON 5.34
$1.87 €1.66
-39.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 RON 7.00
$1.52 €1.36
-2.63%
Eggs
$3.18 RON 15.05
$3.88 €3.46
-18.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.91 RON 37.40
$12.87 €11.49
-38.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.80 RON 32.16
$7.94 €7.08
-14.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.35 RON 44.25
$17.63 €15.73
-46.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.36 RON 6.41
$2.26 €2.01
-39.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 RON 8.17
$1.76 €1.57
-1.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.43 RON 6.78
$1.88 €1.68
-23.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 RON 9.44
$2.47 €2.20
-19.03%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.63
$1.86 €1.66
-58.60%
Onion (1kg)
$0.76 RON 3.61
$2.07 €1.85
-63.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 RON 3.07
$1.39 €1.24
-53.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 RON 3.66
$0.81 €0.73
-4.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.12 RON 28.96
$6.89 €6.15
-11.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.57 RON 31.07
$5.53 €4.93
18.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 RON 4.39
$1.33 €1.19
-30.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 RON 6.84
$2.17 €1.93
-33.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 RON 4.04
$2.24 €2.00
-62.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.35 RON 101
$45.14 €40.29
-52.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 RON 3.04
$4.00 €3.57
-84.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.66 RON 3.10
$1.07 €0.95
-38.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.37 RON 30.15
$16.53 €14.75
-61.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.83 RON 8.64
$2.26 €2.02
-19.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K RON 132.9K
$33.5K €29.9K
-16.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K RON 119.7K
$40.5K €36.1K
-37.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$153 RON 723
$164 €146
-6.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.32 RON 29.88
$18.54 €16.55
-65.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.66 RON 40.95
$33.21 €29.64
-73.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.93 RON 208
$46.01 €41.06
-4.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.72 RON 98.0
$18.80 €16.78
10.21%
Cinema Ticket
$8.23 RON 38.91
$9.47 €8.45
-13.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$393 RON 1,860
$690 €615
-42.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,729 RON 27.1K
$16.9K €15.0K
-66.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.3 RON 347
$105 €93.4
-30.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.28 RON 200
$45.27 €40.40
-6.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 RON 429
$99.0 €88.3
-8.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.9 RON 453
$124 €111
-22.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$418 RON 1,975
$1,583 €1,413
-73.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$287 RON 1,358
$1,209 €1,079
-76.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$565 RON 2,675
$2,833 €2,528
-80.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$459 RON 2,170
$1,964 €1,753
-76.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,944 RON 9,194
$7,643 €6,821
-74.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 RON 5,845
$4,431 €3,954
-72.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ploiesti
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$972 RON 4,596
$1,573 €1,403
-38.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.85
3.79
107.12%

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

Last update for Ploiesti: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ploiesti
$287
Lisbon
$1.2K 321% $922
Groceries & Markets
Ploiesti
$201
Lisbon
$272 35.1% $71
Eating Out
Ploiesti
$189
Lisbon
$247 30.9% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ploiesti
$168
Lisbon
$215 28.3% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Ploiesti
$136
Lisbon
$168 23.4% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Ploiesti
$60
Lisbon
$65 7.6% $4.6
Getting Around
Ploiesti
$29
Lisbon
$63 121% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Ploiesti and $1,583 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 62% 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: $46.00 in Ploiesti vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $272 per month, with Ploiesti cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Ploiesti
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
05:26 5:26 AM
03:26 3:26 AM
2 h behind Ploiesti
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
224,406
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ploiesti Lisbon 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ploiesti
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Ploiesti vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ploiesti and in Lisbon?
Ploiesti and Lisbon differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($1,072 vs $2,203 including rent). Ploiesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ploiesti and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $418 in Ploiesti versus $1,583 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ploiesti and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $393 in Ploiesti versus $690 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,072 in Ploiesti versus $2,203 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.
How does quality of life compare between Ploiesti and Lisbon?
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.
Is Ploiesti or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ploiesti and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Ploiesti or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Ploiesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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