Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samokov Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samokov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,098 in Samokov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,708 in Samokov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,318 in Samokov.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 106% more expensive than in Samokov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Samokov is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.19

$9.57 BGN 15.92

83.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.8

$46.83 BGN 77.9

37.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.08

$9.92 BGN 16.51

17.44%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.82

$2.96 BGN 4.92

10.14%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.68 BGN 2.79

48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.45

$1.63 BGN 2.71

2.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €3.01

$2.64 BGN 4.40

31.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.10

$4.25 BGN 7.08

-15.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.83 BGN 3.04

-35.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.26 BGN 2.10

54.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.35 BGN 3.91

-33.62%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.47

$3.78 BGN 6.29

6.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.49

$12.10 BGN 20.13

9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.29

$8.80 BGN 14.64

-4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.78

$14.43 BGN 24.01

26.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.79 BGN 2.98

29.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.95 BGN 3.25

-11.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.02 BGN 3.36

-4.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.63 BGN 4.37

0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.07 BGN 1.78

77.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.12 BGN 1.86

88.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.21 BGN 2.01

19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.79 BGN 1.31

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.07

$4.15 BGN 6.91

68.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.13

$6.59 BGN 10.96

-10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.17 BGN 1.95

16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.86

$2.03 BGN 3.37

5.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.06

$0.91 BGN 1.52

161.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €40.02

$25.31 BGN 42.11

82.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.63

$1.35 BGN 2.24

210.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.66 BGN 1.10

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.94

$10.61 BGN 17.65

62.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.68 BGN 2.80

33.93%

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

$34.5K €29.8K

$30.9K BGN 51.4K

11.60%

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

$41.6K €36.0K

$25.7K BGN 42.8K

61.82%

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

$171 €148

$117 BGN 195

46.10%

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

$19.01 €16.45

$19.40 BGN 32.27

-2.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.68

$16.34 BGN 27.18

109.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.98

$30.99 BGN 51.6

60.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.89

$17.72 BGN 29.49

10.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.74

$9.48 BGN 15.78

6.54%

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

$699 €605

$531 BGN 883

31.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.4K

$5,584 BGN 9,289

218.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.6

$72.0 BGN 120

45.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.53

$43.29 BGN 72.0

10.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.2

$99.2 BGN 165

2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$108 BGN 180

18.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,438

$339 BGN 564

389.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,063

$265 BGN 441

363.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,524

$575 BGN 957

406.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,752

$416 BGN 691

386.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,037

$1,379 BGN 2,295

489.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €4,013

$1,097 BGN 1,824

322.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,402

$744 BGN 1,238

117.65%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Samokov: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $339 in Samokov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 118% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Samokov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $264 per month, with Samokov 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 Samokov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Samokov differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,098 including rent). Samokov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 118% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $339 in Samokov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $531 in Samokov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,098 in Samokov versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samokov but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Samokov 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 Samokov 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 Samokov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.