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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $919 in Ruse.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,450 in Ruse.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,982 in Ruse.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 140% more expensive than Ruse, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ruse is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$10.66 BGN 17.73

49.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$35.69 BGN 59.4

81.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$7.94 BGN 13.21

32.37%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.68 BGN 2.79

70.83%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.50 BGN 2.49

49.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.84 BGN 1.40

78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.81 BGN 3.00

92.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.88 BGN 4.80

34.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.73 BGN 2.88

-34.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.98 BGN 1.63

78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.07 BGN 3.44

-14.98%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.73 BGN 4.54

17.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.46 BGN 15.73

42.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.15 BGN 13.56

-2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.98 BGN 21.59

22.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.45 BGN 2.41

59.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.89 BGN 3.15

-10.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.93 BGN 3.21

4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.07 BGN 3.45

18.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.15 BGN 1.92

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.05 BGN 1.75

90.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.17 BGN 1.94

64.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.68 BGN 1.13

16.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.60 BGN 5.98

83.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.98 BGN 9.95

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.04 BGN 1.73

31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.17 BGN 1.94

153.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.92 BGN 1.53

157.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$16.14 BGN 26.86

182.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.44 BGN 2.40

197.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.65 BGN 1.07

26.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$10.24 BGN 17.03

78.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.49 BGN 2.47

38.26%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$32.1K BGN 53.4K

6.80%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.6K BGN 47.6K

37.26%

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

$148 €127

$99.9 BGN 166

48.08%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$17.56 BGN 29.22

16.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$15.00 BGN 24.95

164.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$32.07 BGN 53.4

49.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$9.08 BGN 15.11

108.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.99 BGN 9.96

53.26%

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

$614 €529

$637 BGN 1,060

-3.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,043 BGN 15.0K

77.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$54.0 BGN 89.8

93.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$29.70 BGN 49.41

41.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$73.7 BGN 123

27.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$86.8 BGN 144

37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$290 BGN 482

461.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$238 BGN 396

427.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$531 BGN 883

471.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$414 BGN 688

388.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$1,651 BGN 2,746

372.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$1,186 BGN 1,973

260.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$977 BGN 1,626

64.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.1

22.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ruse: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $290 in Ruse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 64% 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 $36.00 in Ruse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $229 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 140% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $919 including rent). Ruse is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 64% 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 $290 in Ruse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $637 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 $919 in Ruse versus $2,210 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 140% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.