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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $930 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,435 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,941 in Popovo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 147% more expensive than in Popovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Popovo is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$8.65 BGN 14.40

103.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$29.93 BGN 49.79

110.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$7.14 BGN 11.88

62.18%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.19 BGN 1.99

160.50%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.75 BGN 1.24

232.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.60 BGN 2.67

8.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.59 BGN 4.31

34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.24 BGN 7.06

-18.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.57 BGN 2.62

-26.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.11 BGN 1.85

72.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.30 BGN 3.83

-34.78%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.75 BGN 4.58

44.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$7.09 BGN 11.80

87.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$8.37 BGN 13.92

-4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$14.40 BGN 23.95

25.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.52 BGN 2.52

54.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.45 BGN 2.41

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.50 BGN 2.50

23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.25 BGN 3.74

13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.04 BGN 1.72

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.08 BGN 1.80

94.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.26 BGN 2.10

18.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.76 BGN 1.27

7.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.13 BGN 6.87

71.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$6.59 BGN 10.97

-10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$0.86 BGN 1.42

52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.09 BGN 3.48

1.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.91 BGN 1.52

159.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$23.84 BGN 39.67

95.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.62 BGN 1.03

558.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.62 BGN 1.03

83.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$8.29 BGN 13.80

106.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.61 BGN 2.68

43.48%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$28.9K BGN 48.0K

18.22%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$22.8K BGN 38.0K

81.21%

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

$169 €147

$116 BGN 194

44.74%

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

$19.33 €16.82

$18.75 BGN 31.20

3.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$15.81 BGN 26.30

111.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.50

$20.63 BGN 34.32

136.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.91

$18.07 BGN 30.06

7.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$6.57 BGN 10.93

45.66%

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

$696 €606

$527 BGN 876

32.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,608 BGN 9,330

209.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.6

$52.2 BGN 86.9

101.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$41.82 BGN 69.6

14.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$71.3 BGN 119

41.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$47.77 BGN 79.5

160.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$364 BGN 605

357.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$245 BGN 407

409.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$500 BGN 831

493.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$382 BGN 636

436.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,818

$1,541 BGN 2,564

408.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,885

$1,055 BGN 1,755

323.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$1,324 BGN 2,203

23.18%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Popovo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $364 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 23% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $228 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 147% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $930 including rent). Popovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $364 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $527 in Popovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $930 in Popovo versus $2,296 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 147% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.