Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ruse Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ruse

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,007 in Ruse.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,525 in Ruse.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,044 in Ruse.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 130% more expensive than in Ruse, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Ruse is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$9.23 BGN 15.35

87.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$35.38 BGN 58.9

78.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$9.85 BGN 16.38

15.63%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$1.75 BGN 2.91

82.29%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.55 BGN 2.57

58.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.82 BGN 1.37

114.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.79 BGN 2.98

100.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.03 BGN 5.04

11.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.83 BGN 3.04

-32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.98 BGN 1.63

102.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.35 BGN 3.91

-35.32%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.72 BGN 4.52

48.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$9.64 BGN 16.04

40.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$8.10 BGN 13.48

3.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$14.93 BGN 24.84

22.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.46 BGN 2.43

56.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.93 BGN 3.22

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.99 BGN 3.31

-6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.07 BGN 3.44

27.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.12 BGN 1.86

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.08 BGN 1.79

93.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.25 BGN 2.08

15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.67 BGN 1.12

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.71 BGN 6.17

82.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.61 BGN 11.00

-13.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.23 BGN 2.05

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.16 BGN 1.93

91.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.86 BGN 1.43

179.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$16.22 BGN 26.99

188.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.34 BGN 2.24

211.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.64 BGN 1.06

78.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$10.31 BGN 17.16

71.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.61 BGN 2.67

44.10%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$30.7K BGN 51.1K

15.13%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$23.2K BGN 38.6K

78.40%

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

$170 €147

$105 BGN 175

62.34%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$18.43 BGN 30.66

4.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$13.53 BGN 22.51

148.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$32.42 BGN 53.9

48.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$8.81 BGN 14.66

125.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$5.83 BGN 9.70

70.15%

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

$717 €617

$543 BGN 904

32.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$5,772 BGN 9,602

202.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$53.8 BGN 89.5

94.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$29.62 BGN 49.27

58.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$73.4 BGN 122

40.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$88.1 BGN 147

40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$366 BGN 609

357.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$310 BGN 516

309.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$539 BGN 896

454.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$429 BGN 714

364.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$1,701 BGN 2,830

360.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,258 BGN 2,093

270.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,010 BGN 1,679

56.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.1

22.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ruse: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $366 in Ruse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 57% 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 $35.00 in Ruse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $240 per month, with Ruse 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 Ruse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ruse differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,007 including rent). Ruse is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $366 in Ruse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $543 in Ruse. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,007 in Ruse versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ruse but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ruse 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 Ruse 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 Ruse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.