Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pleven Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pleven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $814 in Pleven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,280 in Pleven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,745 in Pleven.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 172% more expensive than Pleven, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Pleven is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$8.88 BGN 14.76

77.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$30.99 BGN 51.6

101.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$6.62 BGN 11.02

59.21%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.89 BGN 3.15

46.56%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.29 BGN 2.14

76.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.69 BGN 1.15

124.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.16 BGN 1.92

206.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.02 BGN 3.36

97.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.49 BGN 2.48

-27.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.79 BGN 1.31

124.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.47 BGN 2.45

20.41%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.20 BGN 3.66

41.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$8.93 BGN 14.85

49.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$7.28 BGN 12.12

9.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$8.92 BGN 14.84

78.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.31 BGN 2.18

74.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.69 BGN 2.81

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.86 BGN 3.10

6.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.12 BGN 3.52

15.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.01 BGN 1.68

75.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.87 BGN 1.44

126.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.61 BGN 1.01

222.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.70 BGN 1.17

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$3.66 BGN 6.08

78.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$6.46 BGN 10.75

-10.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.80 BGN 1.33

65.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.23 BGN 2.04

143.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.92 BGN 1.53

154.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$40.80 BGN 67.9

12.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$1.33 BGN 2.21

220.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.67 BGN 1.11

25.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$11.67 BGN 19.41

61.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.48 BGN 2.46

39.86%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$25.2K BGN 41.9K

39.89%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$17.8K BGN 29.6K

117.30%

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

$151 €130

$101 BGN 168

49.60%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$14.83 BGN 24.67

41.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$11.07 BGN 18.42

257.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$26.21 BGN 43.61

84.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$14.84 BGN 24.69

25.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$7.73 BGN 12.86

16.95%

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

$610 €525

$235 BGN 390

159.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$2,334 BGN 3,883

597.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$38.14 BGN 63.4

165.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$19.03 BGN 31.66

113.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$77.7 BGN 129

19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$75.9 BGN 126

56.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$344 BGN 572

366.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$174 BGN 290

611.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$595 BGN 989

407.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$336 BGN 559

513.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$1,481 BGN 2,465

438.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,145 BGN 1,905

295.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$954 BGN 1,587

70.66%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Pleven: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $344 in Pleven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 71% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Pleven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $197 per month, with Pleven 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 Pleven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pleven differ by about 172% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $814 including rent). Pleven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 71% more on average, 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $344 in Pleven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $235 in Pleven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $814 in Pleven versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pleven but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pleven 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 Pleven 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 Pleven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.