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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $890 in Pernik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,303 in Pernik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,716 in Pernik.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 158% more expensive than in Pernik, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Pernik is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$9.08 BGN 15.10

78.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$25.16 BGN 41.86

151.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.36 BGN 15.57

10.26%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.62 BGN 2.70

74.69%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.97 BGN 1.62

136.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.56 BGN 0.94

182.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.15 BGN 1.91

195.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.02 BGN 3.36

99.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.47 BGN 2.44

-25.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.70 BGN 1.17

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.48 BGN 2.46

18.92%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.19 BGN 3.65

44.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.58 BGN 14.28

53.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.97 BGN 11.60

14.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.81 BGN 14.66

76.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.19 BGN 1.98

99.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.73 BGN 2.87

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.45 BGN 2.41

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.24 BGN 3.72

8.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.91 BGN 1.51

93.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.75 BGN 1.24

170.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.56 BGN 0.93

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.70 BGN 1.17

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.44 BGN 5.72

91.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$5.14 BGN 8.55

8.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.80 BGN 1.32

66.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.06 BGN 3.43

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.87 BGN 1.44

162.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$11.58 BGN 19.26

295.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.37 BGN 2.28

208.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.66 BGN 1.09

22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$11.88 BGN 19.77

55.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.48 BGN 2.46

40.54%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$24.8K BGN 41.3K

39.56%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$17.8K BGN 29.6K

119.75%

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

$148 €130

$102 BGN 170

45.09%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$14.79 BGN 24.61

38.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$11.37 BGN 18.91

247.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$35.15 BGN 58.5

36.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$14.98 BGN 24.91

24.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.74 BGN 9.56

60.63%

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

$616 €540

$240 BGN 399

156.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,345 BGN 3,902

601.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$38.20 BGN 63.6

168.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$19.23 BGN 31.99

117.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$78.1 BGN 130

21.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$75.6 BGN 126

61.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$292 BGN 486

459.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$269 BGN 447

358.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$475 BGN 790

552.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$358 BGN 596

467.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,175 BGN 1,955

566.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,064 BGN 1,770

312.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,630 BGN 2,712

-1.40%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pernik: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $292 in Pernik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pernik pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Pernik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $190 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 158% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $890 including rent). Pernik is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Pernik. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $292 in Pernik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $240 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 $890 in Pernik versus $2,291 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 158% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.