Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Popovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Popovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $876 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,339 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,801 in Popovo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 154% more expensive than Popovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Popovo is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$8.99 BGN 15.02

79.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$29.33 BGN 48.98

120.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.27 BGN 12.15

42.78%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.15 BGN 1.92

140.87%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.79 BGN 1.32

184.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.41 BGN 2.35

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.89 BGN 4.83

20.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.31 BGN 5.53

20.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.10 BGN 1.83

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.03 BGN 1.72

68.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.55 BGN 2.58

12.26%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.93 BGN 3.22

64.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$5.74 BGN 9.59

133.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$8.76 BGN 14.63

-8.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$12.94 BGN 21.60

24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.16 BGN 1.94

96.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.19 BGN 1.99

44.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.16 BGN 1.94

67.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.21 BGN 3.70

14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.96 BGN 1.61

90.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.04 BGN 1.74

96.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.98 BGN 1.63

102.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.60 BGN 1.01

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.80 BGN 6.35

80.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.36 BGN 12.30

-21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.85 BGN 1.42

61.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$0.57 BGN 0.95

408.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.90 BGN 1.50

153.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$26.72 BGN 44.63

75.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.61 BGN 1.02

568.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.54 BGN 0.91

51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$8.24 BGN 13.77

121.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.58 BGN 2.64

27.22%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$29.6K BGN 49.5K

19.01%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$22.3K BGN 37.2K

72.59%

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

$145 €124

$116 BGN 194

25.00%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$17.83 BGN 29.78

17.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$15.44 BGN 25.78

159.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$29.36 BGN 49.03

66.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$14.91 BGN 24.90

25.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$7.15 BGN 11.95

26.71%

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

$607 €519

$628 BGN 1,049

-3.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,379 BGN 8,983

203.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$52.8 BGN 88.2

98.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$36.14 BGN 60.4

13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$70.2 BGN 117

33.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$46.90 BGN 78.3

152.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$290 BGN 484

452.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$235 BGN 393

424.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$478 BGN 797

537.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$358 BGN 598

474.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,583 BGN 2,644

386.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,081 BGN 1,805

294.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,326 BGN 2,215

19.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.09

23.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Popovo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $290 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% 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 $29.00 in Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $200 per month, with Popovo 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 Popovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Popovo differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $876 including rent). Popovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 19% 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 $290 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $628 in Popovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Popovo versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Popovo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Popovo 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 Popovo 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 Popovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.