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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,102 in Plovdiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,712 in Plovdiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,321 in Plovdiv.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than Plovdiv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Plovdiv is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$8.70 BGN 14.47

82.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$47.28 BGN 78.7

36.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.69 BGN 14.46

20.94%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.49 BGN 4.15

15.26%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.49 BGN 2.48

50.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.91 BGN 1.51

64.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.99 BGN 4.97

16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.93 BGN 4.88

32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.81 BGN 3.02

-37.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.07 BGN 1.78

63.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.11 BGN 3.51

-16.59%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.40 BGN 5.66

-5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.61 BGN 19.31

16.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.95 BGN 13.22

-0.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$12.02 BGN 19.99

32.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.50 BGN 2.49

54.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.76 BGN 2.93

-3.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.66 BGN 2.76

21.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.48 BGN 4.12

-0.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.02 BGN 1.70

80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.14 BGN 1.90

75.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.09 BGN 1.82

77.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.77 BGN 1.28

2.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.61 BGN 6.01

83.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.07 BGN 10.11

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.04 BGN 1.73

31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.80 BGN 2.99

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.60 BGN 1.00

295.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$28.44 BGN 47.32

60.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.16 BGN 1.93

269.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.66 BGN 1.09

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$10.48 BGN 17.44

74.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.50 BGN 2.50

37.33%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

7.36%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.7K BGN 47.8K

36.69%

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

$148 €127

$97.8 BGN 163

51.18%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$18.10 BGN 30.11

13.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$15.31 BGN 25.47

158.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$37.70 BGN 62.7

26.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.69 BGN 24.44

28.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$8.96 BGN 14.90

2.46%

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

$614 €528

$425 BGN 706

44.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,126 BGN 11.9K

125.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$61.5 BGN 102

70.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$35.35 BGN 58.8

18.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$98.1 BGN 163

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$106 BGN 176

12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$482 BGN 802

237.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$336 BGN 558

274.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$816 BGN 1,357

271.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$609 BGN 1,013

231.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,299 BGN 3,824

239.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,556 BGN 2,589

174.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,160 BGN 1,929

38.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.49

-15.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $482 in Plovdiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 38% 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 $47.00 in Plovdiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $238 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 100% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,102 including rent). Plovdiv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 38% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $482 in Plovdiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $425 in Plovdiv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,102 in Plovdiv versus $2,210 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 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.