Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Plovdiv Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Plovdiv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,242 in Plovdiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,928 in Plovdiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,615 in Plovdiv.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 83% more expensive than in Plovdiv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Plovdiv is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$9.43 BGN 15.69

86.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$47.74 BGN 79.4

35.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.98 BGN 16.61

16.73%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.96 BGN 4.92

10.14%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.73 BGN 2.88

43.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.57 BGN 2.60

6.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.63 BGN 4.38

31.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.27 BGN 7.11

-16.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.90 BGN 3.15

-37.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.25 BGN 2.08

56.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.25 BGN 3.74

-30.67%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.72 BGN 6.18

7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.89 BGN 19.79

11.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$8.56 BGN 14.23

-1.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.60 BGN 24.28

24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.70 BGN 2.82

36.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.85 BGN 3.08

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.01 BGN 3.34

-3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.74 BGN 4.56

-3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.07 BGN 1.78

77.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.13 BGN 1.88

86.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.22 BGN 2.02

18.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.78 BGN 1.30

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.28 BGN 7.12

63.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.37 BGN 10.59

-7.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.23 BGN 2.05

10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.05 BGN 3.41

4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.58 BGN 0.96

310.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$29.74 BGN 49.48

55.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.33 BGN 2.22

215.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.62 BGN 1.03

77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$10.49 BGN 17.46

64.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.69 BGN 2.81

33.14%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$30.7K BGN 51.1K

12.29%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.8K BGN 43.0K

61.20%

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

$171 €147

$117 BGN 195

45.62%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$19.28 BGN 32.07

-1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$16.01 BGN 26.64

114.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$41.41 BGN 68.9

19.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$21.44 BGN 35.67

-9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.29 BGN 15.45

8.72%

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

$699 €603

$534 BGN 889

30.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,665 BGN 9,425

213.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$70.4 BGN 117

48.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$42.93 BGN 71.4

11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$101 BGN 168

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$107 BGN 178

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$563 BGN 937

195.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$390 BGN 649

214.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$916 BGN 1,523

218.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$682 BGN 1,134

196.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,303 BGN 3,831

252.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,576 BGN 2,621

194.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,201 BGN 1,998

34.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.1

21.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $563 in Plovdiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 35% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $48.00 in Plovdiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $262 per month, with Plovdiv 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 Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Plovdiv differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,242 including rent). Plovdiv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $563 in Plovdiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $534 in Plovdiv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,242 in Plovdiv versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Plovdiv but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Plovdiv 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 Plovdiv 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 Plovdiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.