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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $825 in Pleven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,299 in Pleven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,772 in Pleven.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than Pleven, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Pleven is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$8.73 BGN 14.59

85.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$31.18 BGN 52.1

107.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.53 BGN 10.91

58.96%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.86 BGN 3.11

48.92%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.34 BGN 2.23

67.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.69 BGN 1.15

127.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.16 BGN 1.93

200.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.12 BGN 3.54

88.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.52 BGN 2.53

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.77 BGN 1.29

125.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.49 BGN 2.49

16.78%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.19 BGN 3.67

45.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.82 BGN 14.74

52.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.59 BGN 12.67

5.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.80 BGN 14.70

82.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.29 BGN 2.15

76.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.72 BGN 2.88

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.88 BGN 3.13

3.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.17 BGN 3.62

17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.00 BGN 1.67

83.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.81 BGN 1.35

151.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.62 BGN 1.03

219.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.70 BGN 1.17

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.60 BGN 6.01

90.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$6.66 BGN 11.12

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.79 BGN 1.32

73.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.23 BGN 2.06

135.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.86 BGN 1.43

165.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$41.83 BGN 69.9

11.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.39 BGN 2.31

193.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.71 BGN 1.18

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$11.60 BGN 19.37

57.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.54 BGN 2.56

30.52%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$25.2K BGN 42.2K

39.68%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$17.9K BGN 29.9K

115.01%

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

$145 €124

$98.8 BGN 165

47.17%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$14.84 BGN 24.78

41.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$11.04 BGN 18.43

262.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$26.09 BGN 43.57

87.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$15.06 BGN 25.15

24.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$8.04 BGN 13.43

12.69%

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

$607 €519

$236 BGN 395

156.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$2,395 BGN 3,999

581.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$37.81 BGN 63.2

176.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$19.40 BGN 32.39

111.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$75.9 BGN 127

23.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$74.9 BGN 125

58.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$350 BGN 584

358.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$179 BGN 299

591.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$584 BGN 975

421.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$338 BGN 564

508.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,477 BGN 2,466

421.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,183 BGN 1,975

260.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$970 BGN 1,621

63.24%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Pleven: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $350 in Pleven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 63% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Pleven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $199 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 170% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $825 including rent). Pleven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 63% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $350 in Pleven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $236 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 $825 in Pleven versus $2,227 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 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.