Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pernik Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pernik

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $883 in Pernik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,303 in Pernik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,723 in Pernik.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 150% more expensive than Pernik, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Pernik is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$8.66 BGN 14.41

83.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$25.00 BGN 41.59

159.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.03 BGN 15.03

16.39%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.63 BGN 2.72

76.07%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.03 BGN 1.71

117.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.57 BGN 0.95

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.19 BGN 1.99

193.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.09 BGN 3.48

85.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.42 BGN 2.36

-19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.70 BGN 1.17

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.51 BGN 2.50

16.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.17 BGN 3.61

48.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.85 BGN 14.72

52.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.18 BGN 11.94

10.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.64 BGN 14.38

83.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.20 BGN 1.99

92.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.71 BGN 2.85

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.45 BGN 2.42

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.14 BGN 3.55

14.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.85 BGN 1.42

116.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.80 BGN 1.33

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.57 BGN 0.95

238.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.71 BGN 1.18

11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.60 BGN 5.99

83.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.29 BGN 8.81

8.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.74 BGN 1.22

85.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.15 BGN 3.58

38.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.89 BGN 1.49

166.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$11.59 BGN 19.29

293.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.32 BGN 2.20

225.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.66 BGN 1.09

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$12.01 BGN 19.99

52.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.54 BGN 2.57

33.77%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.7K BGN 41.1K

38.66%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$17.8K BGN 29.7K

120.41%

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

$148 €127

$102 BGN 169

45.54%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$15.02 BGN 24.99

36.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$11.05 BGN 18.39

258.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$35.41 BGN 58.9

35.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$14.75 BGN 24.54

28.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.80 BGN 9.65

58.28%

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

$614 €529

$237 BGN 395

158.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,400 BGN 3,992

568.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$38.62 BGN 64.3

171.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$19.30 BGN 32.10

117.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$75.3 BGN 125

24.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$73.8 BGN 123

62.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$301 BGN 500

441.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$267 BGN 444

370.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$475 BGN 790

537.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$347 BGN 577

482.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,228 BGN 2,043

535.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$1,091 BGN 1,814

291.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,636 BGN 2,721

-1.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.4

12.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Pernik: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $301 in Pernik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pernik pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Pernik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $191 per month, with Pernik 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 Pernik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pernik differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $883 including rent). Pernik is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Pernik earns 2% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $301 in Pernik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $237 in Pernik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $883 in Pernik versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pernik but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pernik 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 Pernik 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 Pernik gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.