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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $877 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,324 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,772 in Popovo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 160% more expensive than in Popovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Popovo is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.00 BGN 14.97

75.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$30.08 BGN 50.0

111.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.97 BGN 11.59

49.93%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.21 BGN 2.02

140.50%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.74 BGN 1.23

209.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.40 BGN 2.34

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.98 BGN 4.95

19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.17 BGN 5.27

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.11 BGN 1.85

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.03 BGN 1.71

70.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.58 BGN 2.62

7.59%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.83 BGN 3.04

77.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$6.01 BGN 10.01

120.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$8.36 BGN 13.90

-7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$13.04 BGN 21.69

20.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.16 BGN 1.92

96.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.16 BGN 1.93

43.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.16 BGN 1.93

74.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.13 BGN 3.55

15.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.90 BGN 1.49

98.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.01 BGN 1.68

104.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.92 BGN 1.53

114.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.65 BGN 1.08

27.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.72 BGN 6.19

76.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.21 BGN 10.33

-10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.91 BGN 1.51

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$0.61 BGN 1.02

393.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.89 BGN 1.48

155.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$26.05 BGN 43.34

77.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.56 BGN 0.94

655.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.51 BGN 0.85

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$8.18 BGN 13.61

130.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.56 BGN 2.59

29.49%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$29.8K BGN 49.5K

17.44%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$22.2K BGN 36.9K

78.58%

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

$148 €128

$118 BGN 196

25.38%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$17.96 BGN 29.88

14.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$15.20 BGN 25.28

160.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$30.02 BGN 49.94

60.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$14.60 BGN 24.29

25.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$7.15 BGN 11.89

27.27%

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

$615 €532

$624 BGN 1,038

-1.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,422 BGN 9,019

200.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$53.1 BGN 88.3

91.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$36.45 BGN 60.6

15.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$71.2 BGN 118

29.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$46.97 BGN 78.1

159.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$292 BGN 485

452.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$234 BGN 389

436.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$479 BGN 796

541.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$351 BGN 584

479.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,196 BGN 1,989

548.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$980 BGN 1,631

337.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,279 BGN 2,127

25.27%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Popovo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $292 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 25% 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 $267 vs $196 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 160% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $877 including rent). Popovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $292 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $624 in Popovo. 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 $877 in Popovo versus $2,280 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 160% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.