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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,012 in Samokov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,582 in Samokov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,151 in Samokov.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 125% more expensive than in Samokov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Samokov is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$10.13 BGN 16.85

55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$41.76 BGN 69.5

52.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$10.12 BGN 16.84

3.26%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.89 BGN 3.15

53.97%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.32 BGN 2.19

73.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.04 BGN 1.73

44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$1.94 BGN 3.22

83.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.01 BGN 5.01

31.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.03 BGN 3.38

-46.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.02 BGN 1.70

72.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.74 BGN 4.56

-37.96%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$3.87 BGN 6.43

-16.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$13.16 BGN 21.89

0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$8.54 BGN 14.20

-9.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$12.82 BGN 21.33

23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.60 BGN 2.66

42.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.16 BGN 3.60

-23.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.98 BGN 3.30

2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.82 BGN 4.69

-12.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.19 BGN 1.99

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.38 BGN 2.30

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.28 BGN 2.13

53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.72 BGN 1.21

15.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$3.66 BGN 6.10

78.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$6.36 BGN 10.57

-12.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.25 BGN 2.08

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.69 BGN 2.81

78.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.91 BGN 1.51

149.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$26.85 BGN 44.67

72.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.21 BGN 2.01

249.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.61 BGN 1.01

39.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$11.69 BGN 19.45

61.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.55 BGN 2.58

30.32%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$36.4K BGN 60.5K

-3.85%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$34.3K BGN 57.1K

15.42%

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

$148 €129

$121 BGN 201

22.50%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$17.49 BGN 29.09

17.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$13.14 BGN 21.87

200.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$30.04 BGN 49.97

60.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$14.75 BGN 24.54

24.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.94 BGN 11.55

31.12%

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

$615 €536

$321 BGN 534

91.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$5,378 BGN 8,947

202.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$44.42 BGN 73.9

128.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$30.02 BGN 49.94

40.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$126 BGN 210

-26.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$75.8 BGN 126

61.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$293 BGN 488

449.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$231 BGN 384

443.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$473 BGN 787

548.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$347 BGN 578

486.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$1,150 BGN 1,914

573.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,002 BGN 1,666

327.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$731 BGN 1,216

119.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.1

-25.29%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samokov: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $293 in Samokov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 119% 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 $42.00 in Samokov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $263 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 125% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,012 including rent). Samokov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 119% 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 $293 in Samokov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $321 in Samokov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Samokov versus $2,280 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 125% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.