Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kardzhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $651 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
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Kardzhali Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Kardzhali

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $651 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Kardzhali $651

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,068 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Kardzhali $1,068

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,484 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Kardzhali $1,484

Lisbon costs about 240% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Kardzhali is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$11.02 BGN 19.28

51.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$23.11 BGN 40.45

167.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$8.87 BGN 15.52

28.07%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$1.12 BGN 1.96

165.18%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$1.06 BGN 1.85

116.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.74 BGN 1.29

135.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$1.59 BGN 2.78

113.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$1.33 BGN 2.33

148.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.69 BGN 2.96

-31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$0.72 BGN 1.25

165.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.51 BGN 2.64

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$2.83 BGN 4.95

42.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$10.21 BGN 17.87

26.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$5.53 BGN 9.68

40.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$6.58 BGN 11.52

169.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$0.84 BGN 1.47

173.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.97 BGN 3.44

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.20 BGN 3.85

17.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$0.69 BGN 1.21

163.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.31 BGN 2.29

50.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.67 BGN 1.18

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.75 BGN 1.31

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$3.56 BGN 6.23

84.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$4.38 BGN 7.66

28.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.00 BGN 1.75

36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.41 BGN 2.47

51.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$0.55 BGN 0.96

323.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$11.11 BGN 19.44

302.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$1.71 BGN 2.99

125.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.71 BGN 1.23

50.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$5.44 BGN 9.52

202.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.62 BGN 2.84

35.80%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$30.2K BGN 52.9K

13.04%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$24.0K BGN 42.1K

61.03%

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

$161 €144

$61.4 BGN 107

162.57%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$5.56 BGN 9.73

231.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$7.88 BGN 13.80

315.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$22.90 BGN 40.08

94.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$8.76 BGN 15.33

9.59%

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

$668 €598

$230 BGN 402

190.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$14.6K BGN 25.6K

20.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$22.89 BGN 40.05

345.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$12.69 BGN 22.21

250.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$46.21 BGN 80.9

113.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$74.9 BGN 131

65.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$115 BGN 201

1299.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$114 BGN 199

947.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$232 BGN 406

1112.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$274 BGN 479

636.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$1,141 BGN 1,997

586.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$855 BGN 1,497

435.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,287 BGN 2,251

22.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.25

18.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Kardzhali

$114 17.5% 90.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Kardzhali

$187 28.7% 31.3% $85

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Kardzhali

$146 22.4% 39.8% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Kardzhali

$75 11.5% 64.8% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Kardzhali

$71 10.8% 57.5% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Kardzhali

$40 6.2% 36.6% $23

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Kardzhali

$19 2.9% 70.7% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $115 in Kardzhali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $23 in Kardzhali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $187 – making Kardzhali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

09:31 9:31 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

49,421

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Kardzhali 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 240% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $976 in Kardzhali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $651 in Kardzhali. That makes Kardzhali about 71% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Kardzhali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $651, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kardzhali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kardzhali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.